BV  600  . B86 5  1923 
Brunner,  Edmund  de 
Schweinitz,  1889- 
Testea  methods  in  town  and 
country  churches 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2019  with  funding  from 
Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


https://archive.org/details/testedmethodsint00brun_0 


TESTED  METHODS  IN 
TOWN  AND  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


The  Committee  on  Social  and  Religious  Sur¬ 
veys,  which  is  responsible  for  this  publication, 
was  organized  in  January,  1921.  The  Commit¬ 
tee  conducts  and  publishes  studies  and  surveys 
and  promotes  conferences  for  their  considera¬ 
tion.  Its  aim  is  to  combine  the  scientific  method 
with  the  religious  motive.  It  cooperates  with 
other  social  and  religious  agencies,  but  is  itself 
an  independent  organization. 

The  Committee  is  composed  of:  John  R. 
Mott,  Chairman;  Ernest  D.  Burton,  Secretary ; 
Raymond  B.  Fosdick,  Treasurer ;  James  L.  Bar¬ 
ton  and  IV.  H.  P.  Faunce.  Galen  M.  Fisher  is 
Executive  Secretary.  The  offices  are  at  370 
Seventh  Avenue,  New  York  City. 


TESTED  METHODS 
IN  TOWN  AND  COUNTRY 


CHURCHES 


A.' 
/  \> 


BY 


OF  PR/^ 
OCT  17  1923 


EDMUND  deS.  BRUNN^R^,,  |C4[ 


With  a  Foreword  by 
HONORABLE  GIFFORD  PINCHOT 

GOVERNOR  OF  PENNSYLVANIA 


NEW 


YORK 


GEORGE  H.  DORAN  COMPANY 


COPYRIGHT,  1923, 

BY  GEORGE  H.  DORAN  COMPANY 


TESTED  METHODS  IN  TOWN  AND  COUNTRY  CHURCHES.  I 


PRINTED  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA 


FOREWORD 

By  Honorable  Gifford  Pinchot 

GOVERNOR  OF  PENNSYLVANIA 

In  1909  it  was  my  privilege  to  serve  as  a  member  of  the 
Country  Life  Commission  set  up  by  President  Roosevelt. 
At  that  time  if  somebody  had  prophesied  that  only  four¬ 
teen  years  later  a  volume  would  be  published  giving,  as  this 
one  does,  not  the  theory  of  a  successful  ministry  in  the 
country  church  but  actual  concrete  methods  employed  in 
forty  country  churches  which  had  won  conspicuous  success 
through  the  use  of  these  methods,  I  should  probably  have 
thought  the  prophecy  entirely  too  optimistic. 

I  remember  a  phrase  in  the  recommendations  made  by 
President  Roosevelt’s  Commission  which  bears  very  specifi¬ 
cally  upon  the  subject  of  this  volume  :  “The  country  church 
of  the  future  is  to  be  held  responsible  for  the  great  ideals 
of  community  life  as  well  as  of  personal  character.”  Just 
because  the  Commission  felt  that  the  country  church  was 
not  serving,  as  in  the  earlier  periods  of  our  history,  to  pro¬ 
mote  the  social  and  religious  well-being  of  the  country,  it 
stressed  the  social  obligations  of  the  rural  church. 

The  present  volume  shows  that  country  churches  succeed 
by  living  up  to  principles  which  the  report  recommended. 
They  have  been  the  servants,  not  only  to  their  constituents, 
but  to  whole  communities.  They  have  been  social  centers 
in  the  best  sense  and  at  the  same  time  have  remained  true 
to  their  distinctive  evangelistic  purpose.  In  a  word,  they 
have  demonstrated  that  the  church  which  fully  represents 
Jesus  Christ  ministers  to  all  sides  of  community  life,  and 
must  supply  the  motive  for  many  of  its  purely  social 
activities. 

As  one,  who,  in  company  with  Mr.  Charles  O.  Gill,  has 


vi 


FOREWORD 


had  practical  experience  in  the  work  of  making  rural  re¬ 
ligious  surveys,  I  have  followed  with  profound  interest 
and  satisfaction  the  studies  of  the  church  in  rural  America 
which  have  been  completed  by  the  Committee  on  Social 
and  Religious  Surveys.  It  seems  eminently  fitting  that  the 
careful  investigation  made  by  Dr.  Brunner  and  his  col¬ 
leagues,  as  published  in  the  twelve  volumes  of  the  Com¬ 
mittee’s  Town  and  Country  Series,  should  be  followed  by 
this  study  of  the  country  church  at  its  best.  It  shows  how 
others  have  met  and  overcome  the  very  difficulties  which 
the  average  rural  church  is  facing.  I  can  imagine  no  better 
inspiration  for  the  rural  pastor  than  the  reading  of  this 
book  and  its  companion  volume,  “Churches  of  Distinction 
in  Town  and  Country” — and  only  those  who  are  familiar 
with  the  difficult  problems  which  the  country  pastor  faces 
can  realize  his  need  of  inspiration. 


INTRODUCTION 


The  Committee  on  Social  and  Religious  Surveys  conducted 
during  the  year  1922  an  investigation  of  the  most  successful 
town  and  country  churches  of  Protestant  persuasion  that  it 
could  find  anywhere  in  the  United  States.  The  study  was 
undertaken  in  order  that  the  experience  of  these  churches 
might  be  available  to  all  other  churches  similarly  placed. 

For  the  purposes  of  this  study  no  attempt  was  made  to 
arrive  inductively  at  a  scientific  definition  of  what  consti¬ 
tutes  a  “successful”  church.  The  test  of  a  church’s  “suc¬ 
cess”  most  generally  accepted  by  the  denominational  boards 
consulted  in  the  preliminaries  of  the  study  is  the  service, 
spiritual  and  material,  which  it  renders  to  the  community  of 
which  it  is  a  part  and  the  measure  of  support  which  in  turn 
it  receives  from  the  community.  This  test  was  accepted  as 
the  basis  of  the  present  investigation. 

Two  books  have  resulted  from  the  investigation;  a  volume 
made  up  of  stories  of  certain  of  the  individual  churches, 
which  has  been  published  under  the  title  of  “Churches  of 
Distinction  in  Town  and  Country,”  and  this  one,  which 
describes  the  methods  employed  by  those  churches.  The 
present  volume  is  intended  for  use  in  theological  seminaries, 
in  graduate  summer  schools  for  the  training  of  town  and 
country  ministers,  by  classes  in  leadership-training  within 
congregations,  and  above  all  by  individual  town  or  country 
pastors  at  work  in  their  fields.  Both  form  and  content  of 
the  volume  have  been  adapted  so  far  as  possible  to  meet  the 
wishes  of  officials  of  home  mission  boards  who  have  had 
these  purposes  in  mind. 

TYPES  OF  COMMUNITIES  STUDIED 

To  make  sure  that  the  investigation  would  cover  the  great¬ 
est  possible  number  of  churches  differently  placed  in  respect 

•  • 
vii 


INTRODUCTION 


•  •  • 
vm 

to  environment,  the  Committee  on  Social  and  Religious 
Surveys,  aided  by  the  findings  of  its  previous  studies  and 
by  the  advice  of  rural  sociologists  specially  consulted,  drew 
up  a  list  of  town  and  country  communities  of  twenty  differ¬ 
ent  types.  It  was  believed  that  among  these  types  every 
area  in  the  United  States  would  be  represented.  The  com¬ 
munities,  arranged  in  accordance  with  the  plan  of  regional 
distribution  used  in  other  surveys  by  this  Committee,  follow : 

Northern  Colonial  Area 

1.  A  Scotch-Irish  community,  general  farming  back¬ 

ground,  preferably  an  open  country  church. 

2.  A  German  community,  probably  in  Pennsylania,  gen¬ 

eral  farming  and  open  country  or  small  village 
church,  one  of  the  liturgical  group. 

3.  New  England  communities,  villages,  illustrating: 

a — A  denominational  community  church  in  com¬ 
mand  of  the  field  by  comity  agreement, 
b — A  federated  church, 
c — An  interdenominational  or  union  church. 

4.  New  York  village  or  town  of  1,500  to  5,000  population 

with  developing  industrial  interest,  some  foreign 
element  but  farm  connections  still  existing. 

Middle  West  and  Prairie 

5.  Village  in  wheat  belt  where  there  is  migrant  labor 

affected  by  church,  preferably  in  Kansas  or  Ne¬ 
braska. 

6.  County  seat,  Middle  West,  several  denominations  rep¬ 

resented,  having  program  of  community  coopera¬ 
tion,  preferably  a  town  with  considerable  retired 
farmer  element. 

7.  Same  social  and  economic  background  as  “6”  above, 

but  in  which  one  church  is  forging  ahead  regardless 
of  competition. 

Northwest 

8.  Scandinavian  community,  dairy  or  grain  region  in 

Minnesota  or  North  Dakota,  preferably  a  church 
with  a  developed  educational  program  and  an  ad¬ 
vanced  economic  program. 


INTRODUCTION 


IX 


•5o  uh 

9.  Good  average  open  country  community  in  cotton  belt. 
>.  Cotton  mill  town. 

1.  Southern  mountain  community  with  or  without  any 
industrial  development  but  in  which  outside  aid  has 
affected  progress,  especially  along  educational, 
other  cultural  or  health  lines. 

12.  Negro  community  in  cotton  section,  either  village  or 

open  country. 

Southwest  or  Pacific 

13.  Mexican  community  with  Protestant  church,  either  a 

small  industrial  or  a  farming  community  or  a  com¬ 
bination  of  both. 

14.  Indian  community  in  Southwest,  illustrating  transition 

from  nomadic  tribal  to  settled  agricultural  life. 

15.  Community  in  irrigated  country,  trucking  or  small 

fruit,  large  influx  of  foreign  seasonal  labor  affected 
by  adequate  church  program. 

16.  Lumber  or  mining  town  with  foreign  element. 

Range 

17.  Town  in  cattle-raising  or  dry-farming  district  in  which 

church  is  doing  significant  larger  parish  work. 


General 

18.  Czechoslovak  community  in  the  Middle  West  or  in 

Texas,  general  farming  background,  open  country 
or  small  village  church. 

19.  Rural  industrial  village,  preferably  with  polyglot  for¬ 

eign  population. 

20.  Community,  industrial  or  farming,  with  large  perma¬ 

nent  element  of  later  (southern  European)  immi¬ 
gration  in  which  English-speaking  church  is  doing 
significant  work  in  reaching  foreign  born. 

No  churches  were  discovered  for  a  few  of  these  types. 
More  than  one  church  was  selected  in  each  of  the  more  im¬ 
portant  of  these  groups. 

Denominational  leaders,  state  and  national,  and  state 
leaders  in  agriculture  and  education,  were  then  asked  to 


X 


INTRODUCTION 


name,  in  communities  of  the  various  kinds,  churches  doin£ 
successful  work.  Investigation  was  also  made  of  the  files 
of  the  Interchurch  World  Movement  surveys  and  of  religious 
periodicals.  From  this  study  and  inquiry  resulted  a  list  of 
nearly  700  churches.  After  preliminary  investigation  half  of 
these  churches  were  eliminated.  The  Committee  sent  to 
representatives  of  each  of  the  others  a  statement  as  to  the 
nature  of  the  investigation;  a  request  for  permission  to 
have  one  or  more  of  its  workers  study  the  church  in  case 
the  committee  should  so  elect ;  and  a  questionnaire. 

Responses  were  received  from  more  than  90  per  cent,  of 
the  ministers  and  other  leaders  addressed.  On  the  basis 
of  these  replies  the  Committee  selected  forty  churches.  In 
making  the  choice,  there  was  an  attempt  to  include  a  wide 
range  of  denominations  and  of  types  of  work.  If  two 
churches  illustrated  a  given  situation  equally  well,  preference 
was  given  to  the  church  of  the  denomination  having  the 
fewer  representatives  on  the  list.  No  effort  was  made  to 
specialize  in  village  churches  rather  than  in  town  churches, 
or  in  country  churches  in  preference  to  town  and  village 
churches.  The  Committee  endeavored,  instead,  to  choose 
successful  churches  which,  taken  together,  would  represent 
every  kind  of  community. 

METHOD  OF  INVESTIGATION 

Each  of  the  churches  selected  was  subjected  to  careful 
investigation  by  competent  field  workers  during  a  period 
lasting  from  eight  days  to  a  month,  in  the  spring,  summer 
or  fall  of  1922. 

In  every  instance  the  churches  studied  gave  full  coopera¬ 
tion.  Pastors,  church  officers,  and  members  were  untiring 
in  their  efforts  to  obtain  all  the  information  desired,  and  con¬ 
tributed  in  the  aggregate  many  days  of  valuable  time. 

SIGNIFICANCE  OF  MATERIAL 

The  significant  thing  is  that  what  is  here  presented  is  not 
theory  but  the  actual  practice  of  churches  that  are  successful. 


INTRODUCTION 


xi 


From  the  experience  of  these  churches,  it  is  believed,  the 
country  church  of  America  has  much  to  learn. 

This  volume  is  submitted  with  a  word  of  caution.  It  is  a 
composite  account  of  forty  churches,  and  therefore  contains 
a  multiplicity  of  suggestive  detail.  No  one  church  can  do 
all  the  things  of  which  it  tells.  Few  can  do  any  one  thing 
in  exactly  the  way  here  indicated.  An  outstanding  tendency 
of  the  churches  investigated  was  found  to  be  adaptation  of 
program  to  need,  or  method  to  situation.  Their  practice 
must  likewise  be  adapted  to  varying  local  conditions. 

WHAT  OF  THE  CHURCHES? 

For  a  still  better  understanding  of  the  methods  of  work 
described  in  this  book,  an  analysis  of  the  situation  of  these 
churches  as  it  existed  at  the  time  of  the  survey  will  be 
found  valuable.  These  churches  are  not  situated  in  unusual, 
above-the-average  communities  which  have  now  ordered 
their  religious  life  so  that  but  one  church  serves  all  elements 
of  the  population.  Furthermore,  most  of  these  churches  be¬ 
gan  their  development  when  at  just  an  average  level  of  effi¬ 
ciency  and  success,  while  many  began  at  a  level  considerably 
below  the  average.  The  success  they  have  won  has  come 
because  of  the  consecration  of  their  leaders,  because  of  the 
methods  they  have  developed  and  because  they  have  applied 
those  methods  with  unceasing  effort.  They  have  traveled  no 
easy  road  to  distinction. 

DISTRIBUTION  OF  CHURCHES 

Six  of  them  are  town  churches,  twenty-two  are  in  villages, 
and  twelve  are  in  the  open  country.  Of  the  villages,  seven 
have  less  than  500  population.  Some  of  the  churches  have 
from  eight  to  thirteen  different  denominational  bodies  repre¬ 
sented  in  their  present  membership. 

Four  of  the  organizations  studied  are  federated  churches 
made  up  of  what  were  formerly  separate  congregations 
differing  in  denomination.  One  is  an  undenominational 
community  church.  Ten  of  the  churches  are  the  only  ones 
in  their  communities,  either  because  of  federation  or  of  the 


INTRODUCTION 


•  • 
xn 

withdrawal  of  some  other  denomination  by  agreement,  or 
because  they  alone  survived.  Two  more  share  their  fields 
with  only  very  small  churches  of  the  Holy  Roller  type.  The 
church  at  Parma  shows  excellently  how  wide  an  appeal  a 
church  may  have.  It  successfully  reaches  all.  In  its  active 
membership  are  former  members  of  sixteen  different  denom¬ 
inations,  including  such  diverse  groups  as  Methodists,  Lu¬ 
therans,  Congregationalists,  Roman  Catholics,  Nazarenes  and 
Latter  Day  Saints. 


EXTENT  OF  PARISH 

Virtually  all  of  these  churches  include  people  from  both 
village  and  country.  Even  those  in  the  larger  towns  draw 
considerably  from  the  countryside  and  have  broken  down 
such  barriers  as  often  exist  between  town  and  country. 
Grace  Church  at  Spencer,  Iowa,  draws  20  per  cent,  of  its 
900  members  from  rural  areas  surrounding  the  town. 

The  open  country  membership  exceeds  that  of  the  village 
or  town  in  eight  of  the  thirty-two  churches  located  in  non¬ 
industrial  towns  or  villages.  In  ten  others  the  proportion 
ranges  from  one- third  to  90  per  cent.  In  most  other  in¬ 
stances  from  one-sixth  to  one-fourth  of  the  membership  is 
drawn  from  the  surrounding  countryside.  In  the  entire 
group  of  churches,  less  than  half  the  members  live  within  a 
mile  of  the  church  building.  A  fifth  live  from  two  to  five 
miles  from  the  church  and  nearly  a  fifth  live  more  than  five 
miles  away.  This  long-range  influence  is  not  accidental. 
The  churches  accept  full  responsibility  for  the  care  of  the 
communities  in  which  they  are.  They  not  only  care  for 
members  at  the  outer  edge  of  their  parishes,  but  systemati¬ 
cally  cover,  with  their  evangelistic  and  social  programs,  the 
whole  territory  for  which  they  are  responsible. 

Seven  out  of  every  ten  of  these  churches  have  extended 
their  parish  boundaries  until  they  are  coterminus,  or  nearly 
so,  with  the  boundaries  of  the  community.  In  a  few  in¬ 
stances  the  parishes  extend  beyond  the  community  bound¬ 
aries.  The  parish  boundaries  of  only  a  fifth  are  markedly 
smaller  than  those  of  the  communities,  and  in  each  of  these 
cases  the  church  is  either  reaching  only  one  neighborhood 


INTRODUCTION 


xm 


in  the  community  or  is  meeting  exceptionally  strong  compe¬ 
tition.  This  is  an  unusually  good  record.  The  Interchurch 
World  Movement  surveys  found  that  the  church  was  rare 
indeed  whose  parish  boundaries  included  the  whole  com¬ 
munity. 


MEMBERSHIP 

Whatever  their  past,  most  of  these  churches  are  now 
larger  and  stronger  than  the  average.  Only  nine  have  fewer 
than  ioo  members,  and  in  most  cases  they  are  the  churches 
in  very  small  communities  or  in  communities  in  which  there 
is  a  considerable  proportion  of  Roman  Catholic  population. 

Nearly  half  the  churches  fall  within  the  next  membership 
group  of  between  ioo  and  200.  This  group  also  has  the  most 
extended  activities.  Six  more  churches  have  between  200 
and  300  members  and  a  final  six  range  from  349  to  nearly 
1,100.  Three  of  the  last  six  are  in  county  seats  that  have 
populations  of  from  2,590  to  nearly  5,000.  These  three, 
however,  share  the  field  in  each  instance  with  half  a  dozen 
or  more  churches.  Of  the  other  large  churches,  the  largest 
is  in  a  village  of  750  inhabitants  which  draws  heavily  from 
the  surrounding  countryside ;  another  is  an  open  country 
church  with  507  members ;  and  a  third  is  the  community 
church  in  a  village  of  600  people.  It  has  349  resident 
members. 


ATTENDANCE 

The  attendance  in  these  churches  is  quite  remarkable.  Six 
of  them  average  more  than  200  at  the  morning  service ; 
three  of  these  have  more  than  450  and  one  more  than  800. 
Often  people  have  to  go  early  to  get  seats  in  the  main  audi¬ 
torium.  For  the  whole  group  the  morning  attendance  aver¬ 
ages  70  per  cent,  of  the  resident  membership,  and  the  evening 
attendance  52  per  cent.  At  least  one  representative  of  75 
per  cent,  of  the  families  on  the  rolls  of  these  churches  is  in 
regular  attendance  at  least  one  service  every  Sunday. 

In  six  of  the  churches,  which  make  up  15  per  cent,  of 
the  entire  number,  the  average  attendance  at  either  the  morn- 


XIV 


INTRODUCTION 


in g  service  or  the  evening  service,  or  at  both  services,  exceeds 
the  resident  membership.  The  audiences  are  well  distributed 
among  the  various  age-  and  sex-groups.  At  the  morning 
service  39  per  cent,  are  adult  women ;  31  per  cent,  adult  men ; 
23  per  cent,  are  members  under  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
and  the  remainder  are  children.  In  the  evening,  adult  men 
and  women  in  equal  proportion  make  up  three-fifths  of  the 
audiences.  With  the  exception  of  a  few  small  children, 
young  people  make  up  the  rest  of  the  congregations. 

The  men  at  the  morning  services  in  twelve  of  the  churches 
equal  or  exceed  the  women  in  number ;  while  in  eight  the 
proportion  of  young  people  exceeds  that  of  any  other  group. 
In  the  evening  the  proportion  of  men  equals  or  exceeds  that 
of  women  in  fifteen  churches.  In  an  equal  number,  the 
young  people  have  more  representatives  than  any  of  the 
other  groups. 


AGE  AND  SEX  OF  MEMBERS 

For  the  purposes  of  this  study  the  membership  of  these 
churches  has  been  divided  into  three  groups,  including  re¬ 
spectively  persons  under  twenty-one,  those  between  twenty- 
one  and  forty-five,  and  those  forty-six  or  older.  It  was  found 
that  nearly  a  fourth  of  the  members  were  under  twenty- 
one  and  that  exactly  two-thirds  were  under  forty-five 
years  of  age.  In  some  cases  more  than  a  third  of  the  mem¬ 
bers  on  the  roll  were  under  twenty-one  years  of  age.  This 
was  owing  in  part  to  the  fact  that  some  of  the  churches  are 
in  communities  still  so  young  that  few  people  have  had  time 
to  grow  old.  Another  explanation  is  the  great  attractiveness 
to  the  young  people  of  the  virile  programs  undertaken  by 
these  churches.  The  older  congregations  include  persons  of 
all  ages  and  the  churches  minister  to  all  of  them  success¬ 
fully.  In  them  there  are  many  pews  in  which  representatives 
of  three  generations  sit  together.  Slightly  more  than  three- 
fifths  of  the  present  membership  of  these  churches  joined 
within  the  last  decade.  The  rest  of  the  membership  is  almost 
equally  divided  between  those  who  joined  between  ten  and 
twenty  years  ago  and  those  who  united  with  the  church  in 
the  more  distant  past. 


INTRODUCTION 


xv 


These  churches  also  reach  both  sex-groups.  In  the  whole 
list  there  is  but  one  “woman’s”  church.  In  the  others, 
male  members  constitute  anywhere  from  a  third  to  three- 
fifths  of  the  total  membership. 

OCCUPATION  OF  MEMBERS 

More  than  40  per  cent,  of  the  members  are  gainfully  em¬ 
ployed.  Thirty-six  per  cent,  of  these  are  farmers  who  own 
their  farms,  while  12  per  cent,  are  farm- renters,  and  another 
12  per  cent,  are  professional  people.  Thirteen  per  cent,  are 
in  business.  Seven  per  cent,  are  farm-laborers.  Of  the 
other  scattering  occupations,  clerks  of  various  kinds  form 
the  predominant  group. 

FACTS  REGARDING  ORGANIZATIONS 

In  the  Sunday  schools  there  is  no  predominant  age-group 
other  than  the  adult.  The  proportion  of  the  total  member¬ 
ship  varies  little  for  the  different  age  groupings  up  to  twenty 
years.  xAImost  20  per  cent,  more  of  males  than  of  females 
on  the  church  roll  belong  to  the  Sunday  school.  Sixty  per 
cent,  of  the  entire  membership  of  these  churches  is  enrolled 
in  some  one  of  the  subsidiary  organizations.  In  this  respect 
the  young  people’s  group  makes  the  best  showing,  with  80 
per  cent,  enrolled.  The  total  number  of  males  so  interested 
is  55  per  cent,  and  of  females  63  per  cent. 

LENGTH  OF  SUCCESS 

The  average  period  over  which  these  churches  have  been 
succeeding  is  seven  years.  But  two  entirely  different  types 
of  churches  figure  in  this  average.  The  first  type  includes 
such  churches  as  Stanton,  Middle  Octoraro  and  Dayton, 
which  have  behind  them  years  of  tradition.  These  are  among 
the  eighteen  which  exceed  the  average  of  seven  years.  For 
the  other  twenty-two,  the  periods  of  success  have  covered 
a  shorter  period.  The  average  is  3.2  years. 

MINISTERS 

The  ministers  of  these  churches  are  not  different  from 
ministers  everywhere,  save  that  a  large  proportion  are  men 


XVI 


INTRODUCTION 


with  college  and  seminary  training.  Twenty-five  have  had 
the  advantages  of  both  college  and  seminary.  A  dozen  others 
are  college  men  and  the  other  three  are  seminary  trained 
only.  If  they  differ  from  other  ministers  in  anything  it  is 
in  their  capacity  for  ceaseless  work.  This  is  the  price  of 
their  success.  Otherwise — in  temperament,  in  age,  in  person, 
and  in  methods  of  leadership — they  are  as  unlike  as  men 
of  any  other  group  could  be.  Had  they  all  been  of  one 
general  type,  it  might  have  been  fair  to  conclude  that  men 
of  that  type  possess  those  general  qualities  of  leadership 
essential  in  successful  church  organizations.  This,  however, 
is  not  the  case.  The  clue  to  the  success  of  these  churches 
does  not  lie  in  their  employing  a  distinctive  type  of  minister. 
The  pastorates,  however,  are  longer  than  the  average.  The 
average  length  of  time  that  each  of  these  ministers  has  been 
with  his  present  congregation  is  in  excess  of  four  and  one- 
half  years,  whereas  the  average  total  pastorate  of  the 
churches  in  the  twenty-five  counties  studied  by  the  Committee 
on  Social  and  Religious  Surveys  was  3.8  years. 

These  churches,  then,  have  been  selected  as  representative 
of  a  considerable  number  which  have  won  more  than  local 
distinction.  They  have  been  chosen  to  illustrate  rural  re¬ 
ligious  work  in  various  kinds  of  communities  and  by  various 
denominations.  Growing  out  of  average  or  below-average 
situations,  and  located  in  communities  in  no  way  especially 
favored,  these  churches  have  broadened  their  scope  and  in¬ 
fluence,  have  increased  their  memberships  and  attendance, 
have  reached  and  held  all  age,  sex,  and  occupational  groups, 
and  have  developed  programs  that  have  resulted  in  achieve¬ 
ments  far  beyond  those  of  the  average  town  and  country 
churches  in  America.  That  is  why  an  analysis  of  their 
methods  holds  promise  of  interest  and  inspiration. 


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 


The  field  workers  engaged  in  this  study  included  the  fol¬ 
lowing  full-time  workers  of  the  Committee:  Marjorie  Pat¬ 
ten,  Helen  O.  Belknap,  and  Elizabeth  G.  Wootton.  Through 
the  courtesy  of  the  Board'  of  Home  Missions  of  the  Re¬ 
formed  Church  in  America,  John  W.  Myers  and  Ernest  W. 
Brindle  were  added  to  the  staff  for  four  months  during  the 
summer;  and  through  the  courtesy  of  the  Presbyterian  Board 
of  Home  Missions  and  of  the  Presbyterian  Synod  of  New 
York,  respectively,  the  Rev.  H.  N.  Morse  and  Dr.  U.  L. 
Mackey  investigated  one  parish  each.  Elizabeth  R.  Hooker 
and  Grace  E.  Fairley,  of  the  staff  of  the  Committee,  assisted 
in  assembling  the  data  and  Miss  Hooker  also  gave  invaluable 
service  in  preparing  it  for  publication. 

Through  their  generous  cooperation  in  this  enterprise  the 
churches  studied  have  placed  the  Committee  and  those  to 
whom  the  findings  will  be  of  service  under  a  heavy  debt  of 
gratitude. 

The  tabulation  on  the  following  pages  gives  for  the 
churches  surveyed  the  geographical  and  denominational  dis¬ 
tribution,  and  the  names  of  their  ministers. 

Edmund  deS.  Brunner 


xvii 


State  Community  Church  Pastor 

Arizona . Sacaton  . Presbyterian  Indian  Mission  . Dirk  A.  Lay, 


xvm 


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 


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Massachusetts  ...  Wilbraham . Federated,  Congregational  and  Methodist  Episcopal.  W.  Q.  Genge 


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 


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CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Foreword  by  Honorable  Gifford  Pinchot  ...  v 

Introduction . vii 

Acknowledgments . xvii 

CHAPTER 

I  Evangelism . 25 

II  Worship  and  Services . 38 

III  Religious  Education . 47 

IV  Work  for  Age  and  Sex  Groups  ....  66 

V  The  Plant  and  Its  Equipment  ....  89 

VI  Church  Finance . 109 

VII  Organizing  the  Church  for  the  Program  123 

VIII  Publicity . 140 

IX  Community  Welfare  and  Church  Coopera¬ 
tion  . *54 

X  Measuring  Success . *65 

Index . I7I 


TESTED  METHODS  IN 
TOWN  AND  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


/ 


TESTED  METHODS  IN  TOWN 
AND  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 

Chapter  I 

EVANGELISM 

The  forty  churches  which  form  the  subject  of  this  study 
both  gain  members  and  hold  and  nurture  them.  During  the 
year  before  this  study  was  made  a  gross  gain  in  membership 
of  17.3  per  cent,  was  registered,  and  a  net  gain  of  14  per 
cent.  Moreover  these  churches  are  evangelistic.  Seventy-one 
per  cent,  of  their  new  members  came  on  confession  of  faith 
and  only  29  per  cent,  by  letter.  This  is  in  marked  contrast 
with  the  showing  of  the  churches  of  twenty- five  typical 
counties  throughout  America,  studied  by  the  Committee  on 
Social  and  Religious  Surveys,  which  found  the  average  net 
gain  to  be  less  than  3  per  cent. 

The  reasons  for  the  success  of  the  evangelistic  work  of 
these  churches  are  many,  but  two  underlie  all  the  others. 
In  the  first  place  the  churches  make  an  appeal  that  is  both 
broad  and  basic.  They  lead  men  and  women  to  the  Christian 
life.  In  the  second  place  they  practise  the  gospel  they 
preach.  They  make  their  successful  appeal  to  the  hearts 
of  men  and  women  because  they  exemplify  so  well  what 
they  stand  for.  Evangelism  is,  therefore,  the  keystone  of 
their  program. 

All  these  churches  have  one  time  of  the  year  in  which 
their  evangelistic  efforts  culminate.  These  efforts  are 
brought  to  an  end  in  different  ways.  With  some,  the  cul¬ 
mination  is  in  a  series  of  evangelistic  services,  sometimes 
known  as  a  protracted  meeting.  With  others,  it  is  in  quiet, 
personal  appeals  made  at  the  time  of  year  when  the  young 

25 


26  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


people  declare  publicly  through  the  rite  of  confirmation 
their  allegiance  to  God  and  the  church. 

PREPARATION 

Various  methods  are  used  to  prepare  for  the  evangelistic 
harvest.  In  a  number  of  the  churches  a  survey  is  held  to 
be  a  prerequisite.  This  survey  is  on  a  house-to-house  basis 
and  no  family  is  overlooked.  Where  there  are  other 
churches  in  the  community,  this  study  is  generally  coopera¬ 
tive.  Names  of  persons  canvassed  are  referred  to  the  differ¬ 
ent  churches  in  accordance  with  expressed  preferences,  or 
with  information  at  hand  if  there  has  been  no  expression 
of  preference.  For  example,  if  one  man  has  been  known 
to  attend  a  church  occasionally  or  to  seek  its  service  for 
funeral  or  a  baptism,  his  name  is  given  to  that  church  for 
its  attention  even  though  he  may  have  placed  himself  in  the 
non-preference  column.  These  surveys  are  carried  beyond 
the  corporate  limits  of  the  community.  Consultations  have 
been  held  with  churches  of  nearby  communities  and  no-man’s 
lands  have  been  discovered.  Dividing  lines  have  then  been 
drawn  between  communities  and  all  unchurched  families 
listed.  This  has  proved  very  effective. 

ENLISTING  THE  MEMBERSHIP 

No  evangelistic  campaign  can  succeed  without  the  whole¬ 
hearted  support  of  the  entire  church.  The  membership  is 
enlisted  in  various  ways.  Most  churches  use  several  methods 
simultaneously.  Letters  are  sent  to  church  members ;  or,  as 
in  one  church  community,  “to  all  the  Christian  people,”  an¬ 
nouncing  the  services  and  asking  for  definite  cooperation. 
Some  outstanding  passages  in  one  such  letter  follow: 

There  are  some  things  that  each  of  you  can  do  that  will  mean 
a  great  deal  to  the  success  of  this  enterprise  for  the  Master. 
I  take  the  privilege  of  enumerating  them: 

1.  You  can  pray.  .  .  . 

2.  Be  at  each  meeting  YOURSELF.  .  .  . 


EVANGELISM 


27 


3.  Invite  others  to  come.  .  .  . 

4.  Talk  to  others  about  their  relation  to  God  and  Jesus 

Christ.  .  .  . 


PRAYER  MEETINGS 

Cottage  prayer  meetings  almost  invariably  feature  the 
preparation  for  an  evangelistic  campaign.  Members  in  the 
different  parts  of  the  parish  gather  once  a  week  during  a 
month  or  more,  before  the  opening  of  the  campaign,  to  pray 
and  plan  for  its  success.  Such  meetings  can  be  made  fruitful 
where  the  pastor  and  the  leaders  have  definite  plans  and 
objectives.  The  entire  membership  is  not  only  brought  into 
a  state  of  spiritual  expectancy  but  is  instructed  regarding 
the  things  that  need  to  be  done. 

TRAINING  PERSONAL  WORKERS 

Nothing  is  more  damaging  to  an  evangelistic  campaign 
than  are  ill-advised  efforts  on  the  part  of  the  members.  A 
person  cannot  be  approached  successfully  in  respect  to  his 
relation  to  things  Divine  if  the  approach  is  made  in  hap¬ 
hazard  fashion.  The  reason  for  the  appeal  that  is  to  be 
made,  the  challenge  of  the  church,  the  obligation  and  oppor¬ 
tunity  of  fellowship  and  service — these  must  be  presented 
with  conviction.  More  than  that,  their  presentation  must  be 
influenced  by  a  knowledge  of  the  person  to  whom  they  are 
being  presented.  Classes  for  personal  workers  are  there¬ 
fore  important  features  in  preparation  for  an  evangelistic 
campaign.  Frequently  they  are  held  in  connection  with  the 
cottage  prayer  meetings.  Lists  of  those  who  are  unchurched 
are  gone  over  and  names  are  assigned  both  for  invitation 
and  for  interview.  In  one  church  the  pastor  goes  so  far  as 
to  discuss  with  his  lieutenants  the  themes  of  his  sermons 
and  upon  occasion  the  lieutenants  themselves,  after  receiv¬ 
ing  full  instruction  from  him,  occupy  the  pulpit.  This  train¬ 
ing  continues  throughout  the  period  of  the  meetings.  In  two 
instances  a  personal  work  committee  sits  in  meeting  daily 
about  a  table  to  compare  notes,  while  the  evangelistic  cam- 


28  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


paign  is  on.  Names  are  redistributed.  The  results  of  the 
quiet  interviews  with  individuals  are  reported  to  the  pastor, 
to  whom  the  final  effort  is  generally  left  in  all  cases. 

PREPARATORY  STEPS 

During  the  weeks  intervening  before  the  meetings,  not 
only  are  sermons  and  Sunday  night  services  made  distinctly 
evangelistic  in  character,  but  in  the  work  of  the  Sunday 
school  and  other  organizations  stress  is  laid  on  the  coming 
event.  Where  the  group  or  district  system  1  is  in  use,  the 
leaders  of  each  group  work  together  to  prepare  the  ground. 

In  several  churches,  opportunity  is  given  at  the  close  of 
each  Sunday  night  service  prior  to  the  campaign  for  all  who 
desire  to  unite  with  the  church  to  declare  themselves. 

PUBLICITY 

Shortly  before  the  time  for  the  meetings  to  begin,’  cards 
or  folders  announcing  the  dates,  hours  and  subjects  are 
generally  distributed.  The  folder  used  by  the  church  in 
Parma  had  on  the  outside: 

“For  Everyone 
Time  to  Think.” 

After  the  announcement  of  the  meetings  was  this  statement : 

“Congregation  in  Charge.” 

This  publicly  proclaimed  the  fact,  already  mentioned,  that 
responsibility  for  the  meetings  rests  with  the  whole  church. 
Upon  the  back  of  this  leaflet  was  a  serious  address  to  the 
men  headed : 


“What  a  Man  Owes  to  the  Church” 

and  ending : 

“Will  You  Do  Your  Part?” 


1  See  Chapter  VII,  “Organizing  the  Church  for  the  Program.” 


EVANGELISM 


29 


At  the  same  time  the  meetings  are  in  general  widely  adver¬ 
tised  by  posters,  dodgers,  and  paid  advertisements  in  the 
local  papers.2 


LETTERS  TO  PROSPECTS 

Preceding  any  direct  personal  approach  some  churches 
send  personal  letters  to  those  whom  they  hope  to  win.  This 
is  done  especially  in  the  case  of  prospective  members  who 
once  belonged  to  a  church  in  another  place  but  who,  on 
moving  away,  lost  interest  and  severed  connections.  An 
example  of  one  such  letter  which  was  effectively  used  is 
given : 

My  dear  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Me - : 

In  the  past  have  you  not  had  this  thought,  “Sometime  I  will 
join  the  church  here”? 

Sometimes  have  you  not  felt  that  it  was  your  duty  to  do  so 
because  the  church  needed  you  or  because  you’ve  found  your¬ 
self  slipping  from  God  and  needed  the  church? 

Such  thoughts  are  usually  the  promptings  of  God  urging  us 
to  do  the  right. 

The  Communion  of  the  Lord’s  Supper  will  be  observed  in  the 
church  this  Sunday  morning.  Those  who  love  God  and  follow 
Jesus  will  want  to  break  bread  together.  Some  are  to  join  our 
church  then  making  confession  of  their  Lord.  Won’t  you  join 
with  us?  If  you  have  church  letters,  bring  them.  If  not,  come 
just  the  same.  We  want  you;  the  letter  can  be  obtained  later 
on. 

The  hope  of  the  world  lies  in  a  united  Christendom.  Your 
strength  is  needed  in  the  organization  founded  to  establish  the 
Kingdom  of  God  on  earth.  Your  children  will  follow  your 
example. 

Your  minister,  in  spite  of  an  injury,  will  try  to  call.  Think 
the  matter  over,  and  make  him  happy  by  deciding  to  join  the 
Church  of  Christ  in  the  community. 

Your  friend  in  Christ,3 


3  Many  of  the  methods  described  in  the  chapter  on  “Publicity” 
have  been  used  with  success  in  evangelistic  campaigns. 

8  In  one  instance,  not  among  tha  cases  used  in  this  book,  a  survey 
showed  considerable  groups  of  people  untouched  by  the  church’s 


30  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  MEETINGS 

Following  a  thorough  preparation  which  may  sometimes 
extend  over  an  entire  quarter  of  a  year,  the  evangelistic 
services  begin.  The  churches  under  study  seldom  employ  a 
professional  evangelist,  although  this  has  been  done.  Usually 
either  the  pastor  or  a  brother  minister  from  a  neighboring 
community  conducts  the  meeting.  Much  is  made  of  music 
during  the  services.  It  is  especially  effective  to  select  the 
hymns  so  that  the  thought  they  express  shall  run  parallel  to 
that  of  the  sermon  to  be  preached.  Care  in  this  matter  is 
particularly  important  for  congregational  singing  and  for 
solos  which  some  of  these  churches  take  pains  to  arrange 
for.  Comparatively  few,  except  those  that  take  part  in 
union  meetings,  use  a  large  chorus  choir. 

The  time  of  year  most  commonly  chosen  for  this  kind  of 
a  series  of  meetings  is  in  the  one  or  two  weeks  prior  to 
Easter.  Some  churches  prefer  the  week  of  prayer  at  the 
beginning  of  January,  and  still  others  hold  meetings  early 
in  the  fall.  The  time  must  be  arranged  with  a  view  to  the 
convenience  of  the  community,  the  custom  of  the  church, 
the  pressure  of  farm  work,  which  is  greater  in  some  seasons 
than  in  others.  In  some  communities  it  is  necessary  to  take 
into  consideration  even  the  phase  of  the  moon.  During  the 
full  moon,  travel  along  country  roads  to  evening  services  is 
far  easier. 


OTHER  EVANGELISTIC  METHODS 

The  Sunday  school  furnishes  the  readiest  field  for  evan¬ 
gelistic  endeavor.  Most  of  those  who  join  these  churches 
come  to  them  from  their  own  Sunday  schools.  They  are 
brought  to  the  decision  to  join  the  church  by  three  methods 
other  than  that  of  the  evangelistic  campaign.  Every  school 

influence.  The  pastor  gathered  together  the  leaders  of  the  various 
lodges  and  societies  in  the  community  and  secured  their  help  in 
planning  a  series  of  special  church  services  designed  to  help  the 
community.  The  organizations  each  allowed  one  person  to  represent 
them  in  a  community  conference.  In  this  instance  church  attendance 
was  quadrupled  by  following  the  plan,  and  sharp  intensive  work 
brought  many  of  these  people  afterward  into  the  church. 


EVANGELISM 


31 


attempts  definitely  to  enlist  pupils  of  proper  age  in  the 
church;  and  about  a  third  of  them  observe  Decision  Day  as 
a  means  toward  this  end.  In  almost  all  the  schools  there  is 
more  or  less  personal  work  by  the  teacher,  usually  under  the 
advice  and  instruction  of  the  pastor.  Then  there  is  the 
confirmation  class  conducted  at  certain  seasons  of  each  year 
for  young  people  of  the  required  age  either  within  the 
Sunday  school  or  at  other  than  Sunday  school  hours.  The 
members  of  this  class  preparing  for  church  membership  are, 
however,  recruited  for  the  most  part  from  the  Sunday  school. 

SPECIAL  DAYS 

Prior  to  certain  special  days,  such  as  Easter  and  Rally 
Day,  which  are  set  aside  in  a  number  of  the  churches  as 
church- joining  days,  prospective  members  are  visited  by  the 
pastor  and  often  by  officers  or  workers  from  the  church. 
The  invitation  is  extended  in  this  quiet,  personal  way,  fre¬ 
quently  over  the  table  at  the  home  of  the  prospective  mem¬ 
ber.  Many  such  visits  are  made,  under  assignment,  by 
members  of  official  boards  or  by  volunteer  parish  visitors 
in  churches  that  have  this  system. 

CLASSES  TO  PREPARE  FOR  CHURCH  MEMBERSHIP 

The  results  of  the  Interchurch  World  Movement  surveys 
showed  that  the  20  per  cent,  of  churches  which  had  classes 
to  prepare  prospects  for  church  membership,  or  as  the 
liturgical  churches  know  them,  confirmation  classes,  gained 
proportionately  four  times  as  many  members  as  the  churches 
that  lacked  such  classes.  More  than  half  of  these  churches 
have  such  classes. 

Perhaps  the  most  thorough  system  of  all  is  followed  by 
the  Mamrelund  Lutheran  Church  at  Stanton,  Iowa,4  where 
from  a  graded  class  within  the  Sunday  school  the  pupils 
pass,  at  the  age  of  fourteen  or  fifteen,  to  a  confirmation 
class  taught  from  January  to  September  by  a  competent 

4  See  the  Committee’s  publication  “Churches  of  Distinction  in 
Town  and  Country”  (George  H.  Doran  Company),  Chapter  XI. 


32  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


Sunday  school  teacher.  This  training  is  supplemented  by 
instruction  from  the  pastor  for  several  hours  every  Saturday 
afternoon  during  eight  months.  Classes  in  the  Bible,  cate¬ 
chism,  and  Bible  history  are  included  in  the  curriculum  and 
in  addition  there  are  lectures  on  themes  relating  to  the 
Christian  life.  At  the  close  of  the  course  those  young  people 
who  are  willing  to  unite  with  the  church  have  the  rite  of 
confirmation  administered  to  them  with  a  knowledge  of  all 
that  it  means.  Besides  this  course  for  adolescents,  the 
pastor  gives  lectures  on  Sunday  afternoons  to  persons  above 
the  age  of  seventeen.  Persons  enter  this  class  without 
pledging  themselves  to  join  the  church.  In  the  year  pre¬ 
ceding  the  survey,  the  class  numbered  twenty-five.  At  its 
final  meeting  the  pastor  said :  “At  the  confirmation  service 
next  Sunday  evening  there  will  be  in  the  front  of  the  church 
twenty-five  chairs  waiting  for  you.  I  hope  you  are  all  ready 
to  come  out  on  the  right  side/’  On  the  appointed  evening 
the  church  was  so  crowded  that  chairs  were  put  in  all  the 
available  spaces,  even,  in  the  vestibules.  Gradually  the 
twenty-five  members  took  the  chairs  placed  ready  for  them. 
When  the  service  began  the  twenty-five  were  all  there. 

FOLLOWING  UP  THE  RESULTS 

There  is  too  general  a  tendency  in  churches  holding  pro¬ 
tracted  meetings  to  feel  that  when  converts  are  once  enrolled 
nothing  more  need  be  done ;  but  this  feeling  is  not  in  evi¬ 
dence  in  the  churches  studied.  These  churches  have  such 
thorough  knowledge  of  their  own  fields  and  of  their  needs 
that  new  members  are  quickly  assigned  tasks  in  the  church 
organizations.  Consecration  is  in  this  way  strengthened  by 
service.  First  of  all,  the  effort  is  made  to  align  each  new 
member  with  at  least  one  church  organization.  Sunday 
school  pupils  are,  of  course,  already  aligned.  With  the 
thorough  preparation  which  these  churches  make,  most  new 
converts  already  have  contacts  with  some  other  members  and 
organizations.  Some  churches  schedule  their  mission  study 
classes  immediately  after  their  greatest  in-taking  of  mem¬ 
bers.  Some  conduct  training  groups  for  specific  tasks. 


EVANGELISM 


33 


NURTURING  BOYS  AND  GIRLS 

Some  churches  give  further  training  to  their  boys  and 
girls  who  have  become  members  of  the  church.  At  Dayton, 
for  example,  for  two  years  after  their  admission,  the  young 
members  receive  instruction  from  their  Sunday  school 
teachers  in  the  Intermediate  Catechism  of  their  denomina¬ 
tion.  At  the  end  of  this  period  they  are  questioned  upon 
their  work  during  a  Sunday  evening  service  devoted  to  the 
purpose.  The  boys  and  the  girls  are  pitted  against  each 
other  and  are  closely  questioned  as  to  their  studies.  Older 
members  are  present,  and  the  whole  exercise  is  made  inter¬ 
esting  to  all. 

At  Sacaton,  Arizona,  there  are  among  the  Indians  nine 
catechetical  classes  graded  as  to  age  and  enrolling  a  total  of 
177.  All  but  one  of  these  classes  are  taught  by  Indians. 
Once  a  year  all  members  are  asked  if  they  have  come  to  the 
place  where  they  are  willing  to  unite  with  the  church. 

CIRCUIT  EVANGELISM 

Holding  evangelistic  services  on  a  circuit,  particularly  a 
large  one,  is  a  very  difficult  problem.  The  minister  of  the 
Methodist  Circuit  at  Larned,  Kansas,  solved  it  in  an  un¬ 
usual  way  by  having  each  of  his  four  churches  hold  services 
for  one  week  with  their  own  members  in  charge  while  the 
pastor  was  in  command  during  the  second  week.  The  min¬ 
ister  spent  several  weeks  prior  to  these  meetings  in  preparing 
his  leaders  for  the  enterprise,  using  methods  that  have  been 
outlined  above.  It  was  no  small  venture  of  faith  to  trust  a 
week  of  evangelistic  services  to  each  of  four  churches  with¬ 
out  any  pastoral  oversight.  The  plan  seemed  to  work  with 
accumulative  interest.  The  net  result  showed  a  considerable 
increase  in  the  membership  of  every  church  on  the  circuit. 

INDIANS  SET  THE  PACE 

The  Indians  at  Sacaton,  Arizona,  in  addition  to  using  a 
number  of  the  methods  which  have  been  described,  set  an 


34  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


example  to  other  Christians  in  that  frequently,  for  months 
at  a  time,  they  are  willing  to  leave  their  work  to  go  to  a 
village  of  pagan  Indians  and  do  evangelistic  work  among 
them.  One  convert,  lately  a  hard  drinker,  was  the  only  one 
to  respond  to  a  call  for  such  work  in  a  mining  village  where 
conditions  were  very  bad.  The  minister  let  him  go  with 
strong  misgivings.  He  made  a  striking  success.  He  cleaned 
up  politics,  stopped  some  bad  drinking  places,  and  got  a  new 
sheriff  as  a  result  of  his  work.  This  man  has  since  become 
one  of  the  assistants  in  the  Mission. 

EXTENSION  EVANGELISM 

Virtually  all  of  the  churches  located  in  villages  and  towns 
extend  their  influence  considerably  beyond  the  corporate  limits 
of  their  communities.  Three  churches  in  particular  have 
penetrated  far  into  the  areas  of  no-man’s  land  such  as  are 
found  too  often  outlying  small  communities.  The  California 
Federated  Church  at  Imperial  has  a  Gospel  Extension  De¬ 
partment  which  conducts  Sunday  schools  and  services  at 
four  or  five  nearby  points  with  emphasis  on  evangelism. 
Volunteer  lay  workers  handle  all  of  this  work  under  the 
direction  of  a  minister.  At  Arnold,  Nebraska,  the  Baptist 
Church  discovered  that  the  congregations  in  the  town  in¬ 
cluded  few  if  any  from  the  surrounding  country.  Investiga¬ 
tion  showed  that  whole  neighborhoods  had  few  or  no  church 
members.  Therefore  this  congregation,  by  extending  an 
energetic  campaign  that  centered  in  the  new  church  plant 
in  the  town,  has  carried  its  evangelistic  work  to  the  farming 
population.  Three  Sunday  schools  and  preaching  points 
have  been  established  in  neighborhoods  where  before  there 
was  no  religious  work. 

The  same  plan  is  being  used  in  two  or  three  other  churches, 
in  one  instance  under  the  direction  of  an  extension  worker 
who  is  employed  by  the  congregation.  It  is  of  course  a  plan 
that  is  particularly  applicable  in  the  larger  parish  type  of 
work  by  which  a  church  seeks  to  minister  not  only  to  those 
upon  its  roll  but  also  to  people  of  the  entire  area  in  which 
it  is  felt  that  its  responsibility  lies.5 

5  See  “Churches  of  Distinction  in  Town  and  Country,”  Chapter  VI. 


EVANGELISM 


35 


COMPARATIVE  RESULTS 

One  question  the  experience  of  these  churches  entirely 
fails  to  answer.  It  is  impossible  to  tell  from  their  records 
whether  the  church  that  conducts  an  evangelistic  campaign 
is  more  successful  in  enlisting  new  members  than  the 
church  that  does  not.  The  proportionate  gain  in  the  two 
groups  of  these  churches  is  almost  identical.  There  are 
some  churches  in  which  the  normal  type  of  evangelistic 
campaign  simply  would  not  work,  and  pastors  for  the  most 
part  have  been  wise  enough  not  to  try  it.  Here  and  there 
it  has  been  attempted  and  has  failed;  not  because  it  was  a 
campaign  but  because  the  conditions  required  at  that  time 
a  different  kind  of  evangelism.  There  are  other  places 
where  an  evangelistic  campaign  has  been  attempted  with 
success.  Many  people,  especially  Sunday  school  members 
accustomed  to  such  meetings,  wait  till  the  meetings  are  held 
to  declare  themselves  and  unite  with  the  church.  This,  of 
course,  is  a  matter  of  tradition  and  inheritance  rather  than 
of  method ;  and  in  the  last  analysis  it  is  probably  by  such 
considerations  that  the  success  or  failure  of  an  evangelistic 
campaign  is  determined. 


SUMMARY 

The  evangelistic  program  of  any  church  may  therefore, 
with  good  reason,  include  many  of  the  following  features: 

1.  An  annual  house-to-house  religious  census  or  survey,  union 
in  nature  where  there  is  more  than  one  church,  to  locate  the 
unchurched  and  ascertain  the  ideas  of  the  people  regarding 
the  program  of  the  church. 

2.  An  enlistment  of  the  entire  membership  in  the  evangelistic 
work  through  letters,  cottage  prayer  meetings,  training  of 
personal  workers,  publicity,  and  the  actual  use  of  member¬ 
ship  in  services,  especially  in  outlying  neighborhoods. 

3.  The  cultivation  of  all  prospective  members  through  every 
possible  person  or  agency  by  means  of— r 

(a)  A  class  to  prepare  for  church  membership. 

(b)  Decision  Day  in  the  Sunday  school. 


36  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 

(c)  Use  of  social  occasions  for  tactful  cultivation  of 
prospects. 

(d)  Use  of  special  occasions  as  church-joining  days. 

(e)  Evangelistic  note  in  sermons  prior  to  an  evangel¬ 
istic  campaign,  if  one  is  held,  and  at  intervals 
throughout  the  year. 

(f)  An  evangelistic  campaign. 

(g)  An  effort  to  reach  the  entire  community  and  every 
age,  sex  and  economic  group  within  it. 

4.  A  careful  follow-up  of  the  campaign,  and  an  enlistment  of 
new  members  in  the  service  and  activities  of  the  church. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

The  Making  of  a  Country  Parish — Harlow  S.  Mills.  Mis¬ 
sionary  Education  Movement  in  the  United  States  and  Canada, 
1914.  126  pp.  $.50. 

Parish  Evangelism — F.  L.  Fagley.  Revell,  1921.  121  pp.  $1.00. 
Evangelism — F.  W.  Hannan.  Abingdon  Press.  $1.50. 

TOPICS  FOR  DISCUSSION 

1.  State  how  a  church  may  best  bring  into  membership  per¬ 
sons  of  the  following  groups : 

(a)  Children  of  members. 

(b)  Children  of  non-church  members. 

(c)  Persons  belonging  to  churches  elsewhere. 

(d)  Church-goers,  outside  the  membership. 

(e)  People  in  outlying  districts  who  in  the  ordinary 
course  of  things  come  into  contact  with  a  church  only 
at  weddings  and  funerals. 

2.  Ask  a  dozen  men  who  are  outside  the  church  why  they  are 
not  church  members,  and  classify  their  replies. 

3.  Why  do  people  who  have  been  active  church  workers  for 
years  often  leave  their  church  letters  at  the  bottom  of  their 
trunks  when  they  move  to  a  new  place  ?  What  special 
measures  may  be  taken  to  win  such  people  to  membership 
in  a  church  of  their  new  community? 

4.  “The  best  tract  is  the  tract  in  boots.”  Explain  and  discuss 
this  statement. 

5.  State  reasons  why  so  many  churches  fail  to  retain  a  hold 
on  their  Sunday  school  children  after  the  age  of  14. 

6.  In  holding  Decision  Day  in  the  Sunday  school,  how  may 


EVANGELISM  37 

those  in  charge  guard  against  the  danger  of  the  same  child 
making  a  “decision”  year  after  year? 

7.  Give  whatever  suggestions  you  can  in  regard  to  classes  to 
prepare  for  church  membership.  Should  they  be  connected 
with  the  Sunday  school?  When  and  where  should  they  be 
held?  Over  how  long  a  period  should  the  session  last? 
What  should  be  the  subjects  taught?  Should  the  teacher 
be  a  Sunday  school  teacher,  or  the  pastor? 

8.  How  old  ought  children  to  be  before  they  are  permitted  to 
join  the  church? 

9.  Which  of  the  three  times  of  year  usually  chosen  for  special 
services — the  first  week  in  January,  the  week  or  weeks 
before  Easter,  and  some  time  in  the  fall — seems  to  you  to 
have  the  most  advantages?  State  those  advantages. 

10.  Give  reasons  for  beginning  preparation  some  time  in  ad¬ 
vance  for  a  series  of  special  meetings.  How  long  should 
this  preparatory  period  last? 

11.  Why  do  successful  churches  do  well  in  conducting  their 
evangelistic  campaigns  as  churches,  rather  than  in  leaving 
the  matter  entirely  in  the  hands  of  the  pastor  or  of  a  paid 
evangelist  ? 

12.  Compare  the  effectiveness  as  leaders  of  evangelistic  serv¬ 
ices  of  the  pastor,  a  neighboring  pastor,  a  professional 
evangelist. 

13.  What  danger  lies  in  the  practice  of  some  churches  of  re¬ 
ceiving  immediately  into  full  membership  persons  professing 
a  change  of  heart  under  excitement  of  a  revival  service  ? 

14.  Suggest  a  course  of  action  by  which  persons  converted  at 
special  services  may  be  brought  into  permanent  and  mu¬ 
tually  helpful  relationship  with  the  church. 

15.  In  your  own  community,  are  evangelistic  meetings  held  with 
good  effect  ?  Explain. 


Chapter  II 

WORSHIP  AND  SERVICES 

Worship  has  been  from  time  immemorial  one  of  the  most 
important  expressions  of  religion.  Whether  the  devotional 
spirit  of  the  services  might  have  been  weakened  by  the 
multiplicity  of  activities  in  the  churches  studied,  was  a 
pressing  question  in  the  minds  of  the  investigators.  But 
the  testimony  of  the  field  workers  on  this  point  was  almost 
unanimous — the  services  of  worship  were  found  to  fulfill 
their  purpose.  These  churches  surpass  the  average  church 
in  this  part  of  their  program  as  much  as  in  their  other 
activities. 

Reports  from  the  field  frequently  alluded  to  the  “atmos¬ 
phere”  of  services.  This  atmosphere  is  partly  explained, 
perhaps,  by  the  feeling  of  expectancy  with  which  the  people 
week  after  week  enter  the  sanctuary.  They  come  desiring 
to  worship.  In  the  past  they  have  not  been  disappointed. 
Another  partial  explanation  concerns  the  ministers.  These 
men  are  described  as  quiet  but  dynamic,  restrained  but 
forceful;  and  such  a  temper  helps  to  arouse  a  spirit  of 
worship. 

Study  of  the  mechanics  of  the  services  shows  that  these 
churches  pay  close  attention  to  every  detail.  In  the  churches 
of  liturgical  denominations  the  liturgy  was  read  not  as  a 
mere  matter  of  form  but  with  understanding  and  feeling. 
Of  one  pastor  of  a  non-liturgical  church  a  member  ex¬ 
claimed  :  “His  prayers  alone  are  worth  his  salary.”  The 
scripture  readings,  too,  are  selected  with  care  and  read  with 
understanding  and  impressiveness.  The  ministers  do  not 
look  upon  the  prayers  and  the  reading  of  scripture  as  mere 
preliminaries  to  the  sermon.  Every  detail  is  directed  toward 
an  end ;  and  that  end  is  to  lift  the  people  out  of  their  ordinary 
material  concerns  into  the  realm  of  the  Spirit. 

38 


WORSHIP  AND  SERVICES 


39 


MUSIC 

The  music  of  these  churches  is  such  as  to  add  to  the  im¬ 
pressiveness  of  the  worship.  Many  of  the  churches  have 
pipe  organs,  and  not  infrequently  the  organ  has  recently  been 
installed.  The  music  is  usually  under  the  charge  of  trained 
musicians,  some  of  them  volunteers,  others  working  on 
salary.  Some  of  these  leaders  have  for  years  given  con¬ 
siderable  time  to  weekly  rehearsals,  to  preparation  for  special 
musical  features  like  trios  or  quartettes,  and  to  the  long 
periods  of  training  necessary  for  rendering  oratorios  or 
cantatas.  One  church,  besides  having  a  mixed  choir,  has  a 
double  male  quartette;  another  has  both  junior  and  senior 
choirs ;  another  has  a  chorus ;  others  have  bands  or 
orchestras. 


SERMONS 

The  sermons  showed  a  considerable  variety.  The  minis¬ 
ters  do  not  over-emphasize  any  one  phase  of  Christian  ex¬ 
perience.  They  are  equally  at  home  in  dealing  with  the 
ethical  aspects  of  Christianity  and  with  its  greater  spiritual 
realities.  They  do  not  shrink  from  a  vigorous  application 
of  the  principles  of  Jesus  Christ  either  to  a  local  situation 
or  to  the  great  mysteries  of  life.  As  one  of  these  men 
said :  “The  first  element  of  success  in  the  ministry  of  a 
small  town  community  church  is  emphasis  on  those  things 
that  all  have  in  common.  The  minister  must  not  ride 
theological  hobbies.  As  sure  as  he  does,  the  people  disagree 
with  him.  I  don’t  preach  special  beliefs.  I  do  preach  the 
Kingdom  of  God  as  hard  as  I  can,.” 

THE  MORNING  SERVICE 

A  number  of  these  churches  make  a  contrast  between 
their  morning  and  evening  services.  In  the  morning  comes 
the  formal  service  of  worship,  when  the  theme  of  the  sermon 
is  related  to  some  great  fundamental  Christian  truth,  and 
when  the  music  is  dignified  and  classical. 


40  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 
Worship  for  Children 

The  opening  part  of  the  morning  service  is  frequently 
devoted  to  the  children.  From  Sunday  school  they  march 
into  the  church  for  their  own  brief  period  of  worship  and 
a  sermonette,  sometimes  illustrated.  At  Collbran,  though 
adults  may  attend,  none  may  enter  after  the  opening  of  the 
service.  At  the  conclusion  of  their  special  exercises  the 
children  leave.  At  the  Methodist  Church  of  Rolla,  Missouri, 
the  children  are  regularly  organized  as  a  junior  congrega¬ 
tion.  Once  a  month  they  have  a  special  morning  service, 
with  their  own  choir  and  ushers. 

THE  SUNDAY  EVENING  SERVICE 

The  service  in  the  evening  is  less  formal.  There  is  more 
congregational  singing,  and  this  may  be  led  by  such  groups 
as  a  junior  choir  or  a  Sunday  school  orchestra.  At  the 
Lutheran  Church  of  Stanton,  Iowa,  every  other  Sunday 
evening  service  is  preceded  by  an  organ  recital  of  classical 
music;  and  the  singing  is  led  by  a  vested  choir  of  fifty 
members  who  also  frequently  render  special  numbers.  Some 
churches  occasionally  devote  the  whole  evening  hour  to  a 
service  of  song.  Such  musical  services  are  not  designed  to 
make  it  unnecessary  for  the  minister  to  preach  a  sermon; 
they  form  parts  of  a  plan  covering  the  whole  church  year, 
and  are  always  organized  around  some  one  idea. 

The  Sermon 

The  evening  sermon  deals  with  some  topic  of  ethical  and 
often  of  local  interest.  The  Baptist  Church  of  New  Mon¬ 
mouth,  New  Jersey,  generally  plans  to  cover  at  the  evening 
services  the  wider  interests  of  the  church.  The  first  Sunday 
evening  of  each  month  is  given  to  the  church  and  missions ; 
and  frequent  use  is  made  of  the  stereopticon.  The  second 
Sunday  evening  concerns  the  church  and  the  school.  The 
third  is  devoted  to  the  church  and  the  government;  to  such 
subjects  as  “Law  Enforcement,”  “The  Duties  of  Christian 
Citizenship,”  and  “The  Ethics  of  Taxation.”  On  the  fourth 


WORSHIP  AND  SERVICES 


41 


and  fifth  Sundays  the  theme  is  the  community;  and  among 
more  usual  topics  a  place  is  given  to  “The  Home”  and  to 
“Good  Health.” 

M  oving-Pictures 

Moving-pictures  are  used  in  the  evening  by  a  number  of 
churches  either  to  illustrate  Biblical  scenes  and  passages  or 
to  present  ethical  truths.  One  Sunday  evening  program  at 
a  frontier  church  included  not  only  the  picture  but  a  violin 
solo,  congregational  singing  of  favorite  hymns,  scripture 
readings  to  illustrate  the  picture  which  was  Biblical,  and  a 
brief  talk  by  the  pastor. 

Addresses  by  Invited  Speakers 

Occasionally  the  address  at  an  evening  service  is  made  by 
an  outsider.  The  use  of  special  speakers  may,  of  course,  be 
a  confession  of  laziness  on  the  part  of  the  pastor.  The  wise 
minister,  however,  is  eager  to  induce  men  better  qualified 
than  he  to  speak  on  topics  of  special  interest  and  appeal. 
Among  the  speakers  who  had  recently  addressed  the  churches 
studied  were  a  judge  of  a  State  Supreme  Court,  a 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  secretary,  denominational  leaders,  and  returned 
missionaries. 

Using  the  Membership 

To  give  variety  to  the  evening  program,  some  churches 
put  the  service  in  charge  of  one  or  another  of  the  organiza¬ 
tions,  such  as  the  men’s  class  or  the  young  people’s  society. 
Sometimes  an  individual  leads  the  service ;  sometimes  the 
group  in  charge  presents  a  program. 

Forum 

None  of  the  churches  makes  use  of  the  open  forum  on 
Sunday  evenings.  This  recent  development  has  proved 
valuable,  however,  in  the  experience  of  certain  churches 
investigated  by  the  Committee  on  Social  and  Religious  Sur¬ 
veys  in  other  rural  studies.  At  Sheridan,  Wyoming,  for 


42  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


example,  a  forum  is  conducted  under  the  auspices  of  the 
men’s  clubs  of  two  churches  which  draws  an  average  attend¬ 
ance  of  four  hundred.  Its  principles  are  as  follows : 

The  complete  development  of  democracy  in  America. 

A  common  meeting  ground  for  all  the  people  in  the  interest 
of  truth  and  mutual  understanding,  and  for  the  cultivation  of 
community  spirit. 

The  freest  and  fullest  open  discussion  of  all  vital  questions 
affecting  human  welfare. 

Participation  on  the  part  of  the  audience  from  the  Forum 
Floor  whether  by  questions  or  discussion. 

The  freedom  of  the  Forum  management  from  responsibility 
for  utterances  by  speakers  from  the  platform  or  floor. 

Among  the  subjects  presented  have  been  Community  Prob¬ 
lems,  The  Church  and  Industrial  Conflict,  The  Golden  Rule 
in  Business:  Is  It  Practicable?,  The  Farmers’  Movement 
in  America,  Bolshevism,  Feeding  the  World :  Is  It  America’s 
Job?1 

In  another  instance  a  forum  held  by  a  country  church 
doubled  the  evening  attendance  in  three  months.  A  subject 
is  given  out  in  advance  and  a  committee  of  six  is  appointed, 
three  representing  one  side  and  three  the  other.  The  formal 
debate  is  followed  by  a  general  discussion.  Over  half  the 
audience  is  made  up  of  young  people. 

THE  MID-WEEK  SERVICE 

A  number  of  these  churches  have  strong  mid-week  meet¬ 
ings  which  are  not  stereotyped  but  vary  from  week  to  week, 
usually  in  accordance  with  a  previously  arranged  program. 
At  Rolla,  Missouri,  the  congregation  is  divided  into  groups, 
one  of  which  in  the  absence  of  the  minister  takes  charge  of 
the  meeting  and  leads  a  discussion  upon  modern  implica¬ 
tions  of  some  part  of  the  New  Testament.  An  interesting 
experiment  has  been  made  in  Garrettsville,  Ohio,  where  the 
United  Church  has  set  apart  the  evening  hours  of  every 
Wednesday  as  “Church  Night.”  At  six  o’clock  the  women 

1  See  the  Committee’s  publication,  “The  Church  on  the  Changing 
Frontier”  (George  H.  Doran  Company),  page  87. 


WORSHIP  AND  SERVICES 


43 


serve  a  supper  at  cost  to  all  that  may  come ;  and  the  supper 
is  followed  by  community  singing  lasting  about  twenty  min¬ 
utes.  Then  there  is  a  short  devotional  service;  and  after 
that  either  an  open  forum  or  an  address,  perhaps  by  some 
outside  speaker,  followed  by  discussion.  The  average  at¬ 
tendance  is  just  short  of  ioo.  Church  nights  are  also  ob¬ 
served  by  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Davis,  California,  a 
short  address  being  delivered  on  some  topic  of  community 
interest  adapted  to  attract  young  people. 

At  the  Brick  Presbyterian  Church  at  Perry,  New  York, 
every  other  Wednesday  evening  is  devoted  to  a  course  in 
Church  History.  The  class  uses  a  textbook,  copies  of  which 
are  owned  by  twenty-four  families ;  and  the  average  attend¬ 
ance  is  thirty-five.  The  mid-week  service  of  Grace  Church, 
at  Spencer,  Iowa,  is  varied  in  character,  sometimes  taking 
the  form  of  a  study  course  in  evangelism ;  sometimes  that  of 
an  old-fashioned  Methodist  experience  meeting ;  while  at 
other  times  there  are  talks  by  the  minister.  The  Presby¬ 
terian  Church  in  Novato,  California,  has  replaced  the  prayer¬ 
meeting  with  a  moving-picture  program. 

One  of  the  most  unusual  contributions  to  worship  made 
by  any  of  these  churches  is  found  at  Buckhorn,  Kentucky. 
At  irregular  hours  once  a  day  for  years,  a  woman  of  this 
congregation  has  rung  the  church  bell.  That  ringing  has 
become  known  as  the  “Prayer  Bell.,,  Whenever  it  is  heard 
through  the  mountain  valleys,  every  one  stops  for  a  moment 
of  prayer.  If  the  children  are  on  the  playground,  instantly 
there  is  silence  and  reverence.  If  transactions  are  going  on 
at  the  community  store,  proprietor  and  purchaser,  at  the 
sound  of  the  bell,  stand  for  a  moment  together  before  their 
God. 

On  the  program  of  these  churches  the  services  of  worship 
hold  a  conspicuous  place.  The  churches  do  not  attract  their 
members  solely  through  their  Sunday  schools  and  their  com¬ 
munity  activities.  They  make  their  appeals  through  many- 
sided  programs  of  Christian  service,  which  include  religious 
education,  community  service,  and  worship.  Among  these 
indispensable  activities,  each  church  apportions  time  and 
effort  in  its  own  way. 


44  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 

SUMMARY 


Every  detail  of  the  service  is  considered  important,  and  each 
is  made  to  contribute  to  the  effect  of  the  whole. 

Music  is  used  in  many  forms  and  ways. 

Sermons  are  varied  in  topic  but  cover  in  the  course  of  a  year 
the  full  range  of  Christian  experience.  For  the  children  some 
of  the  churches  provide  a  service  of  worship  of  their  own. 

The  moving-picture  or  stereopticon  is  used  at  evening  services 
to  illustrate  Biblical  events  and  moral  truths.  Use  may  also  be 
made  of  a  forum.  Some  of  the  churches  conduct  mid-week 
services  along  familiar  lines;  but  a  larger  number  are  trying 
new  departures. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Public  Worship — T.  Harwood  Pattison.  American  Baptist 

Publication  Society.  1900.  265  pp.  $1.25. 

Art  of  Public  Worship — Percy  Dearmer.  London:  Standard 

Publishing  Company.  1920.  213  pp.  $2.00. 

The  prayers  that  close  the  daily  reading  in  Dr.  Harry  Emer¬ 
son  Fosdick’s  books,  “The  Meaning  of  Prayer”  ($1.15),  “The 
Meaning  of  Service”  ($1.25),  and  “The  Meaning  of  Faith” 
( $T *35 )  (ah  published  by  the  Association  Press),  should  prove 
very  suggestive.  In  this  connection  should  also  be  mentioned 
“Prayers  of  the  Social  Awakening”  by  Walter  Rauschenbusch 
(published  by  Pilgrim  Press — $1.00). 

TOPICS  FOR  DISCUSSION 

I.  “Worship  exists  primarily  for  the  sake  of  making  articulate 
the  voice  of  the  Spirit.  And  for  this  a  group  of  earnest 
souls  is  a  prime  requisite.”  2  If  this  statement  of  the  pur¬ 
pose  of  worship  does  not  satisfy  you,  write  a  substitute. 
Then,  having  in  mind  the  purpose  of  worship,  draw  prac¬ 
tical  conclusions  as  to  the  morning  service  of  the  country 
church,  considering  in  particular : 

(1)  Frequency 

(2)  Attendance 

(3)  Music 

(4)  Sermon 

(5)  Other  parts  of  the  program. 

2  From  an  editorial  in  the  “Community  Churchman,”  January,  1923 
p.  260. 


WORSHIP  AND  SERVICES 


45 


2.  “Will  the  radio  supplant  the  church?” 3  Support  your 
opinion. 

3.  Is  the  recital  of  the  Apostles’  Creed  a  helpful  part  of  wor¬ 
ship  for  an  audience  today?  Explain. 

4.  Several  collections  of  prayers  for  common  worship  have 
been  recently  published.  May  judicious  use  of  such  prayers, 
and  of  the  Episcopal  prayer  book,  contribute  to  the  effec¬ 
tiveness  of  the  service  for  churches  whose  worship  is  free? 
If  so,  how? 

5.  What  connection  is  possible  between  the  spirit  of  worship 
and  church  music  ?  How  adequately  does  the  music  of  your 
church  fulfill  its  office?  How  may  it  be  improved? 

6.  Explain  the  psychological  reason  why  many  people  believe 
that  the  church  auditorium  should  be  kept  sacred  to  worship. 
Where  there  is  no  other  place  for  entertainments  and  social 
occasions,  what  should  be  done? 

7.  “The  day  is  past  when  one  man  can  stand  up  and  tell  every¬ 
body  what’s  what.”  Discuss  this  assertion,  made  by  a 
thoughtful  woman  living  in  the  country.  Mention  any  ten¬ 
dencies  that  may  have  lessened  the  authority  of  the  preacher. 
How  should  the  new  attitude  of  his  hearers  be  met  by  the 
minister? 

8.  “I  see  a  Sunday  morning  in  the  future,  with  all  the  people 
gathered  in  one  great  temple  for  devotion.  .  .  .  Houses  are 
empty,  theaters  closed,  books  and  newspapers  laid  aside,  the 
noise  of  the  streets  become  a  silence.  The  Community  is  at 
worship  !”  1  Discuss  the  practicability  of  : 

( 1 )  Getting  everybody  to  church. 

(2)  Getting  all  sorts  of  people  into  the  same  church. 

9.  State  the  respective  advantages,  for  the  training  of  children 
in  worship,  of  the  three  following  courses : 

(1)  A  separate  service. 

(2)  A  part  of  the  general  service,  including  a  brief 
children’s  sermon. 

(3)  The  modification_of  the  whole  service  in  con¬ 
sideration  of  the  needs  of  children. 

10.  What  religious  needs  of  your  community,  not  fully  met  by 
the  Sunday  morning  service,  should  be  satisfied  on  Sunday 
evening?  Outline  a  series  of  services  lasting  from  the  first 
of  November  to  the  end  of  April,  adapted  to  meet  these  needs. 

11.  “In  too  many  communities  .  .  .  religion  is  treated  no  longer 

8  Title  of  an  editorial  in  a  religious  periodical. 

4J.  H.  Holmes,  “New  Churches  for  Old,”  p.  312,  Dodd,  1922. 


46  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


as  a  primary  need,  but  is  introduced  surreptitiously  between 
stereopticon  slides.”  5  Does  this  statement  set  forth  a  real 
danger?  If  so,  how  may  the  danger  be  avoided? 

12.  If  the  prayer  meeting  is  attended  only  by  half  a  dozen  aged 
saints,  what  should  the  church  do — drop  it  altogether, 
modify  it,  or  substitute  something  else?  Make  your  answer 
specific  and  contributory. 

8  Shailer  Mathews,  “Scientific  Management  in  the  Churches/’  p.  2. 


Chapter  III 

RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 

Religious  education  in  these  churches  gives  evidence  of 
hopeful  experimentation  in  better  methods  of  training  their 
constituency. 


THE  EQUIPMENT 

The  chapter  on  “The  Plant  and  Its  Equipment”  tells  of 
the  efforts  made  to  provide  their  church  schools  with  the 
best  equipment  within  their  means.  Almost  all  now  have 
separate  rooms  or  curtained  spaces  for  certain  classes.  The 
reader  will  find  information  regarding  these  and  other  parts 
of  the  equipment  in  the  chapter  referred  to. 

PUPILS 

The  total  Sunday  school  enrollment  of  these  churches 
equals  about  90  per  cent,  of  the  total  resident  church  mem¬ 
bership.  In  twenty  of  the  churches  the  enrollment  of  the 
Sunday  school  is  larger  than  that  of  the  church.  In  six  the 
school  is  decidedly  the  smaller;  but  there  is  an  unusually 
large  school  in  connection  with  an  even  larger  church  in  each 
of  four  of  these.  The  high  ratio  is  even  more  significant  in 
the  light  of  the  fact  that  half  the  pupils  come  from  farm 
homes,  and  of  the  further  fact  that  the  parishes  are  far  more 
extended  than  is  the  average  parish. 

1 

N on- Evangelical  Pupils 

In  about  a  fourth  of  the  communities  in  which  these 
churches  are  situated,  there  are  non-evangelical  elements  in 

47 


48  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


the  population  which  are  either  not  reached  or  not  closely 
held  by  religious  institutions  of  their  own.  From  families 
among  these  a  small  number  of  pupils,  most  of  them  Roman 
Catholic,  attend  the  Sunday  schools.  At  Bingham  Canyon, 
Utah,  the  regular  attendants  of  the  Sunday  school  include 
thirteen  children  of  Mormon  families.  These  few  schools 
draw  more  pupils  from  non-evangelical  groups  than  do  all 
the  1,000  schools  investigated  by  the  Committee  on  Social 
and  Religious  Surveys  in  its  follow-up  study  of  the  Town 
and  Country  surveys  begun  by  the  Interchurch  World 
Movement. 

Attendance 

The  average  attendance,  for  all  the  schools  taken  to¬ 
gether,  is  66  per  cent,  of  the  total  enrollment ;  which  is 
virtually  the  same  as  the  average  for  the  schools  in  the 
twenty-five  typical  counties  surveyed  by  the  Committee  on 
Social  and  Religious  Surveys.  As  for  the  schools  under  the 
average,  almost  all  were  contending  with  serious  difficulties, 
such  as  Sunday  work  that  kept  people  away,  unusually  large 
parishes,  very  bad  roads  in  the  spring,  or  student  members 
absent  during  long  vacations.  Ten  of  the  schools  had  a 
proportion  of  attendance  about  equal  to  the  average ;  the 
other  twelve  exceeded  it,  six  reaching  75  per  cent,  or  more, 
with  three  of  these  exceeding  88  per  cent.  The  records  of 
these  last  schools  approximate  or  exceed  the  ordinary  ratio 
of  attendance  of  public  schools.  On  the  whole,  then,  the 
record  of  attendance  for  the  schools  of  these  forty  churches 
is  decidedly  good. 

For  this  there  are  several  reasons.  (1)  Their  work  is  of 
interest  and  value.  In  the  younger  classes,  for  example, 
handwork  and  sand-tables  are  commonly  used  in  teaching 
the  lesson.  (2)  The  school  spirit  is  high.  (3)  Many  of  the 
teachers  make  personal  calls  at  the  homes  of  their  pupils. 
(4)  A  large  part  of  the  general  program  of  the  church  is, 
in  many  cases,  conducted  through  organized  classes.  Eligi¬ 
bility  for  athletic  teams  depends  upon  regular  attendance  at 
Sunday  school.  (5)  The  schools  themselves  emphasize 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 


49 


regularity  of  attendance  by  using  perfect-attendance  diplo¬ 
mas,  by  drawing  attention  to  the  record  of  the  day  in  com¬ 
parison  with  that  of  the  corresponding  Sunday  of  the  pre¬ 
vious  year,  and  by  rewarding  perfect  attendance  throughout 
a  given  period  with  honorable  mention  or  prizes.  (6)  A 
healthy  rivalry  is  cultivated  between  classes  and  between 
departments  of  the  school. 

ORGANIZATION 

The  organization  of  these  church  schools  follows  the 
usual  lines.  The  differences  between  them  and  many  other 
schools  is  that  in  every  one  of  them  the  organization  works. 
The  superintendent  is  usually  a  man  prominent  in  the  com¬ 
munity.  A  few  of  the  larger  schools  have  two  superinten¬ 
dents  ;  and  in  the  very  largest  schools,  which  are  graded,  a 
superintendent  has  been  chosen  for  each  department.  The 
organization,  which  follows  the  usual  lines,  includes  in  the 
school  proper  the  departments  suggested  by  the  Interna¬ 
tional  Sunday  School  Association,  namely,  Beginners, 
Primary,  Junior,  Intermediate,  Senior  and  Adult.  In  addi¬ 
tion,  there  is  a  Cradle  Roll  and  a  Home  Department,  both 
of  which  are  recruiting  grounds  for  the  school  itself. 

To  the  practice  suggested  in  the  abundant  literature  upon 
these  departments,  no  significant  exceptions  were  discovered. 

Home  Department  and  Cradle  Roll 

The  Home  Department  is  adapted  ideally  for  those  unable 
to  attend  the  church  school.  Many  such,  especially  shut-ins, 
are  found  in  the  Home  Departments  of  the  schools  under 
consideration.  Those  not  so  incapacitated  as  to  make  their 
attendance  impossible,  are  urged  by  several  schools  to  join 
adult  classes.  The  Cradle  Roll,  too,  is  carefully  watched. 
Birthdays  of  the  children  are  not  forgotten.  Several  schools 
hold  annual  parties  for  the  babies  and  their  mothers.  One 
church  has  appropriated  to  the  Cradle  Roll  an  attractive 
room  in  the  church  building,  which  has  been  decorated  with 
flowers  and  with  pictures  of  the  members.  Here  there  is 
held  for  the  babies  a  service  with  a  brief  and  simple  program. 


50  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


The  parish  visitors  cooperate  with  the  Cradle  Roll  Super¬ 
intendent.  The  church  shows  genuine  interest  in  the  de¬ 
velopment  of  the  children.1 

Classes 

The  number  of  classes  varies  from  three  or  four  in  the 
very  smallest  schools,  to  thirty  in  the  largest.  In  all  these 
classes  the  morale  is  high.  Many  are  organized  and  have 
names  and  mottoes.2  Since  the  work  of  the  school  is  taken 
in  real  earnest,  there  is  no  difficulty  in  enlisting  the  interest 
of  the  classes  in  the  curriculum. 

CURRICULUM 

Graded  Lessons 

More  than  half  the  schools  use  graded  lessons.  For  the 
most  part,  these  are  the  International  Graded,  but  several 
employ  other  systems,  a  few  of  which  are  rather  ambitious 
in  scope.  Graded  lessons,  of  course,  call  for  some  home 
work.  The  schools  report  no  difficulty  in  having  this  work 
done.  The  class  and  school  spirit,  the  interest  in  the  work 
itself,  the  excellence  of  the  teaching,  all  help  to  insure  suc¬ 
cess.  Graded  lessons  are  found  even  in  some  of  the  smaller 
schools,  under  the  modified  graded  plan  which  provides  for 
each  department,  one  class  covering  the  work  of  the  depart¬ 
ment  in  several  successive  years.  The  experience  of  these 
churches  shows  that  the  use  of  graded  lessons  is  possible  in 
the  church  schools  in  the  country  and  in  the  smaller  towns. 

Bible  Study  for  Public  School  Credit 

Three  of  the  communities  recognize  the  importance  of 
Bible  study  by  giving  it  public  school  credit.  The  work  is 

1  One  church  not  included  in  this  investigation  distributed  the 
government  bulletins  on  child-care  to  the  mothers  of  the  babies  on 
the  Cradle  Roll.  Another  church  holds  in  its  building  a  child-clinic 
where,  under  the  wise  guidance  of  a  woman  physician,  it  is  but  a 
short  step  from  discussion  of  the  child’s  physical  to  that  of  his 
spiritual  welfare. 

2  See  chapter  on  “Work  for  Age  and  Sex  Groups.” 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 


51 


done  eitner  in  connection  with  the  public  school,  in  classes 
taught  by  the  minister,  or  in  classes  of  the  church  school. 
The  first  method  is  used  in  Bible  study  in  the  high  school  at 
Dayton,  Indiana,  where  a  part  of  the  regular  work  of  the 
Junior  year  is  a  course  on  the  life  of  Christ.  Bible  study 
by  special  classes  of  the  church  school  is  given  credit  in  the 
public  schools  of  Whiting,  Iowa,  and  in  those  of  Montrose, 
Colorado.  At  the  end  of  the  year  there  is  an  examination ; 
and  the  pupils  who  pass  it  receive  credit  for  a  half-year’s 
work. 

At  Duncannon,  Pennsylvania,  a  similar  plan  is  now  being 
developed.  Daily  religious  instruction,  in  connection  with 
that  given  in  the  Sunday  schools,  will  be  provided  in  the 
public  schools  if  all  the  churches  agree  to  the  plan,  and  if 
the  teachers  employed  for  the  classes  are  of  as  high  grade 
as  the  present  public  school  teachers. 

CHURCH  SCHOOL  TEACHERS  AND  THEIR  PREPARATION 

More  than  a  sweet  Christian  character  is  demanded  of  the 
teachers  in  the  schools  of  the  successful  churches.  An  honest 
effort  is  made  to  select  individuals  fitted  to  the  particular 
task. 

One-fourth  of  the  teachers  are  men,  a  surprisingly  high 
average.  Another  cause  of  surprise  is  the  number  of  teach¬ 
ers  belonging  to  the  professional  class.  Among  these  the 
doctors  lead,  a  fact  that  is  a  tribute  to  the  program  and  to 
the  ideals  of  these  schools ;  for  no  one  is  busier  than  a 
country  doctor.  His  investment  of  time  in  such  an  enter¬ 
prise  is  a  real  contribution. 

Training  Classes 

Half  these  churches  give  their  teachers  definite  training. 
In  some  instances  the  class  meets  each  week ;  sometimes  the 
sessions  are  less  frequent.  The  meeting  is  held  either  during 
the  hour  of  the  church  school  or  on  the  evening  of  the  mid¬ 
week  service.  The  various  courses  used  have  been  recom¬ 
mended  either  by  the  denominational  authorities  in  religious 


52  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


education  or  by  the  state  or  national  Sunday  school  associa¬ 
tion.  A  number  of  the  courses  cover  three  or  four  years, 
and  include  not  only  the  Bible  but  the  elements  of  pedagogy 
and  child  psychology.  A  number  of  the  churches  supplement 
the  work  of  the  teacher  of  the  training  class  by  bringing  in 
on  occasion  specialists  in  different  phases  of  religious  edu¬ 
cation,  whose  lectures  are  followed  by  general  discussion. 
These  teacher-training  courses  enroll  both  prospective 
teachers  and  teachers  in  service. 

Workers'  Conferences 

In  addition  to  training  classes,  many  of  the  churches  con¬ 
duct  workers’  conferences  or  boards  of  religious  education. 
Such  gatherings  are  often  called  faculty  meetings.  The 
business  routine  of  the  school,  which  too  often  consumes 
the  time  of  a  teacher’s  meeting,  is  sometimes  relegated  to  a 
small  Executive  Committee,  so  that  the  whole  period  may 
be  given  over  to  the  discussion  of  improved  methods.  The 
Methodist  school  at  Prairie  Grove,  Arkansas,  requires  from 
every  teacher  a  monthly  report  under  sixteen  heads.  Upon 
the  blank  provided  the  teacher  must  state  how  he  has  in¬ 
creased  the  knowledge  and  interest  of  the  class ;  to  what 
extent  he  has  followed  up  absentees ;  and  how  much  time  he 
has  devoted  to  preparation  of  the  lessons  and  to  other  Sun¬ 
day  school  activities.  Space  is  also  provided  for  suggestions 
from  the  teacher. 

EXTRA-CURRICULUM  ACTIVITIES 

The  church  schools  under  consideration  utilize  for  their 
purposes  a  number  of  special  occasions.  At  Christmas  and 
Easter  are  special  services  for  the  whole  school  intended  to 
fix  in  the  minds  of  the  children  the  meaning  of  these  festi¬ 
vals.  In  such  celebrations  a  large  place  is  given  to  music 
and  pageantry. 

Rally  Day 

On  Rally  Day,  these  schools  make  special  efforts  to  rally 
the  members  for  the  work  of  the  opening  year  and  to  enlist 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 


53 


additional  members.  Some  of  the  schools  have  two  Rally 
Days,  one  in  the  fall  at  the  end  of  harvest  and  another  in  the 
spring  after  the  roads  have  dried  up  so  that  attendance  at 
church  is  more  regular.  For  these  Rally  Days,  the  schools 
make  careful  preparation.  They  stimulate  attendance  in 
the  ways  described  in  the  chapter  on  “Publicity.”  The 
teachers  visit  the  homes  of  their  pupils.  Every  detail,  from 
program  to  decorations,  is  referred  to  some  member  of  the 
faculty  or  workers’  council.  Preparation  for  the  fall  rally 
frequently  begins  in  early  August.  Just  before  Rally  Day 
some  schools  conduct  a  religious  census  or  survey.  Some 
churches  have  adopted  names  suggestive  of  the  activities  of 
their  respective  regions.  At  Collbran,  Colorado,  for  ex¬ 
ample,  Rally  Day  has  been  rechristened  “Round-up  Day.” 
A  few  schools  have  set  aside  the  entire  week  prior  to  the 
Rally  Day  as  church  school  week.  Meetings  every  evening 
cover  the  different  departments  and  activities  ;  and  during 
the  week  a  special  drive  for  new  members  is  conducted. 

Decision  Day 

To  Decision  Day  reference  has  already  been  made  in  the 
chapter  on  “Evangelism.”  Where  this  is  used,  it  is  not  a 
mere  matter  of  form.  In  some  schools  the  decision  of  a 
child  for  the  Christian  life  results  in  his  enrollment  in  a 
class  to  prepare  for  church  membership. 

Other  Days 

Almost  all  the  schools  observe  Promotion  Day,  on  which 
pupils  who  have  finished  the  work  of  one  grade  or  depart¬ 
ment  are  transferred  to  a  higher  grade  or  another  depart¬ 
ment.  Other  schools  make  use  of  a  Stewardship  Day,  on 
which  the  principle  of  stewardship  is  impressed  by  appro¬ 
priate  lessons,  responsive  readings  and  hymns.  Still  others, 
on  such  occasions  as  Thanksgiving  and  Christmas,  take 
offerings  for  special  benevolent  enterprises. 


54  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 

General  Social  Occasions 

Most  of  the  churches,  in  addition  to  the  activities  of 
organized  classes,  have  various  social  occasions  for  the  school 
as  a  whole.  Chief  among  these  is  the  annual  picnic.  In  a 
few  communities  this  is  an  interdenominational  affair  and  in 
others  a  community  affair.  The  arrangements  are  usually 
planned  so  as  to  provide  enjoyment  for  the  whole  family, 
the  various  activities  enlisting  every  age-  and  sex-group,  so 
that  the  day  becomes  a  veritable  play  festival.  Preparations 
are  made  with  extreme  care,  and  the  program  is  carried  out 
with  dispatch.  Of  other  socials  for  the  school  as  a  whole, 
some  are  held  quarterly,  some  on  particular  occasions  such 
as  Hallowe’en,  Valentine’s  Day,  or  St.  Patrick’s  Day. 

INTERDENOMINATIONAL  COOPERATION 

More  than  half  the  schools  are  active  in  the  larger  work 
of  religious  education,  being  represented  by  delegates  at 
institutes  or  state  and  county  conventions.  These  delegates 
for  the  most  part  pay  their  own  expenses ;  but  in  case  of 
larger  meetings  farther  away  the  school  often  assumes 
financial  responsibility.  The  benefit  of  representation  in 
such  meetings  is  fully  recognized  by  these  schools.  To  the 
application  of  ideas  received  at  such  a  convention  one  of 
them  attributes  the  fact  that  in  the  past  few  years  it  has 
nearly  trebled  its  attendance. 

DAILY  VACATION  BIBLE  SCHOOL 

For  over  a  decade  progressive  city  churches  have  con¬ 
ducted  Daily  Vacation  Bible  Schools.  The  experiences  of 
certain  of  the  churches  surveyed  proves  that  this  form  of 
work  is  also  useful  in  town  and  country.  Such  schools  were 
conducted  by  eleven  churches  of  the  forty,  a  very  high 
proportion.  Among  the  eleven  were  churches  in  towns,  in 
villages  and  in  open  country.  Activities  of  the  various 
schools  vary  somewhat.  They  include  religious  instruction, 
mission  study,  Bible  study,  dramatization  of  Biblical  inch 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 


55 


dents,  organized  play,  story-telling  hours,  and  classes  in 
carpentry,  basketry,  sewing  and  home-making.  Liturgical 
churches  also  taught  the  catechism.  Several  schools  used 
sand-tables,  especially  for  the  younger  classes.  During  the 
course  of  the  morning,  every  school  devoted  a  period  to 
organized  play. 

Leadership 

The  securing  of  teachers  for  this  work  presents  difficulties 
that  are  serious  but  not  insuperable.  Responsibility  was 
assumed,  in  several  instances,  by  the  minister  or  his  wife; 
in  other  cases  by  teachers,  by  college  students  home  for  vaca¬ 
tion,  or  by  married  women  with  training  and  leisure.  In  a 
few  instances  the  leaders  gave  their  services ;  but  these  were 
cases  in  which  the  schools  lasted  only  two  weeks.  In  all 
other  cases,  full-time  teachers  were  paid.  The  money  needed 
was  raised,  in  part  by  an  offering  from  the  children  en¬ 
rolled,  and  in  part  by  one  from  parents  who  attended  the 
final  demonstration  session  of  the  school.  The  full-time 
workers,  of  whom  there  were  from  three  to  six,  were 
assisted  by  volunteers,  who  in  one  case  numbered  seventeen. 
To  house  the  enterprise,  public  school  buildings  were  turned 
over  to  the  church  in  two  instances.  In  one  of  these  the 
school  was  an  interdenominational  affair  whose  creation  was 
inspired,  and  which  was  led,  by  the  church  covered  in  this 
study. 

Terms  and  Enrollment 

The  average  term  was  one  month.  A  few  of  the  schools 
ran  six  weeks;  some  of  the  others  only  two.  In  none  was 
the  enrollment  under  fifty;  in  six  it  exceeded  ioo.  The 
proportion  of  attendance  fell  below  75  per  cent,  in  only 
one  instance.  I11  other  words,  the  Daily  Vacation  Bible 
School  made  a  better  attendance  record  during  its  session 
than  the  Sunday  schools  of  these  churches  made  during  the 
year. 

Parents  were  usually  much  impressed  by  the  work  of  the 
school,  and  almost  all  the  churches  were  encouraged  by 


56  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


enthusiastic  comments.  One  business  man  became  so  much 
interested  that  he  asked  permission  to  have  a  moving-picture 
reel  made  of  the  activities.  Later  this  was  shown  at  the 
State  Synod  of  the  denomination  concerned.  So  far  as 
known,  it  is  the  only  reel  of  its  kind  in  the  country. 

MISSIONARY  EDUCATION 

In  each  of  these  church  schools  the  curriculum  includes 
mission  study.  The  lessons  are  sometimes  weekly  and 
sometimes  monthly.  In  a  few  instances,  a  longer  period  is 
set  aside  once  a  quarter.  In  giving  instruction  regarding 
missionary  matters  the  schools  use  either  of  two  methods, 
or  both.  They  specialize  in  the  study  of  the  particular  field 
which  is  served  by  a  missionary  or  native  worker  supported 
by  the  school  or  by  the  foreign  pastor  of  the  church  and  use 
for  the  purpose  letters  sent  from  the  field;  or  they  use 
leaflets  or  textbooks,  denominational  or  not,  and  conduct  the 
recitations  by  questions  and  answers.  The  church  in  the 
Baptist  Rural  Parish  of  Arnold,  Nebraska,  has  even  set  aside 
in  the  tower  of  its  new  building  a  Missionary  Room.  Here 
are  to  be  gathered  curios  from  the  foreign  field  and  pictures 
of  missionary  work.  In  this  room  the  classes  of  the  school 
will  meet  in  rotation  under  the  direction  of  a  special  teacher 
of  Missions. 

Mission  Study  Outside  the  Church  School 

Other  church  organizations  study  Missions,  either  topi¬ 
cally  or  through  the  use  of  denominational  or  interdenomina¬ 
tional  textbooks.  The  activity  in  this  field  of  societies  of 
women  and  of  young  women  is  well  known.  Young  people’s 
societies  or  junior  societies  often  include  in  their  program 
for  the  year  provision  for  mission  study  either  at  regular 
intervals  or  weekly  during  certain  periods.  A  few  Sunday 
school  classes  devote  to  the  subject  periods  outside  the 
regular  session.  Groups  of  small  children,  such  as  the 
King’s  Heralds  of  some  Methodist  churches,  follow  with 
surprising  regularity  the  little  mission  courses  prepared  for 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 


57 


them.  Of  such  groups  several  of  our  churches  have  from 
two  to  five,  with  a  combined  roll  for  each  church  of  over  a 
hundred  children.  In  connection  with  the  Methodist  Epis¬ 
copal  church  at  Rolla,  Missouri,  for  instance,  116  children 
in  five  groups  hold  monthly  meetings  two  and  a  half  hours 
long,  at  which  the  combined  average  attendance  is  107. 

Schools  of  Missions 

In  four  churches  missionary  interest  is  so  keen  that  the 
entire  congregation  in  each  case  is  annually  organized  into 
a  graded  school  of  missions.  The  Interdenominational  Text 
Books  for  different  age-groups  are  used.  These  schools 
meet  once  a  week  for  six  weeks,  sometimes  on  Sunday 
evenings  at  the  hour  usually  devoted  to  Christian  Endeavor; 
in  other  cases  on  the  evening  of  a  week-day.  At  Imperial, 
California,  the  session  is  held  Sunday  evening,  from  six 
o'clock  to  seven ;  then  refreshments  are  served  and  after¬ 
ward  the  entire  school  attends  the  evening  service.  To  make 
their  teaching  the  more  interesting  and  impressive,  all  these 
schools  of  missions  use  stereopticon  slides  and  pageantry. 
The  Middle  Octoraro  Presbyterian  church,  situated  in  the 
open  country,  divides  its  school  membership  into  seven 
groups,  making  it  convenient  for  sessions  to  be  held  at  the 
seven  neighborhood  centers  of  the  parish.  Each  group  has 
two  teachers  enlisted  from  the  residents  of  the  neighbor¬ 
hood.  Last  year,  the  average  attendance  for  each  group  was 
twenty-two  per  week,  so  that  the  total  weekly  average  was 
154,  equivalent  to  more  than  half  the  resident  church  mem¬ 
bership.  The  teachers  have,  of  course,  the  advice  and  assist¬ 
ance  of  the  pastor;  but  as  he  was  the  leader  of  one  of  the 
sections,  he  could  not  visit  any  of  the  others.  This  interest¬ 
ing  variation  of  method  shows  how  a  church  with  a  large 
parish  can  follow  its  members  into  their  home  neighborhoods. 

Other  Methods  of  Missionary  Education 

The  churches  that  either  support  or  assist  in  supporting 
workers  on  the  foreign  field,  utilize  in  missionary  education 


58  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


letters  from  these  foreign  representatives.  Frequent  refer¬ 
ence  has  been  made  to  the  place  given  to  pageantry.  Some 
of  these  pageants  proved  so  popular  that  they  were  repeated 
before  audiences  averaging  more  than  200.  The  churches 
also  circulate  denominational  periodicals,  both  general  and 
missionary ;  distribute  leaflets ;  and  utilize  to  the  full  the 
resources  and  the  property  of  the  Boards  of  Home  and 
Foreign  Missions.  They  also  give  missionary  entertainments 
and  plays,  provide  stereopticon  lectures,  and  invite  special 
speakers  on  missions. 

LIFE  SERVICE  RECRUITS 

During  the  past  ten  years  eighteen  of  these  forty  churches 
have  sent  sixty-four  young  people  into  professional  Chris¬ 
tian  service.  Of  the  sixty-four,  forty-two  have  gone  from 
fourteen  churches  in  the  past  five  years.3  Some  of  these 
churches,  and  others  which  have  no  such  representatives  yet, 
have  several  preparing  for  Christian  service.  One  church 
has  eight  of  these  recruits.  In  most  of  the  churches  there 
are  from  one  to  three.  This  record,  compared  with  that  of 
the  average  church,  is  phenomenal.  The  Committee  on 
Social  and  Religious  Surveys  has  discovered  that  for  the 
entire  country  it  has  taken  nearly  three  schools  to  furnish  a 
single  recruit  in  the  whole  period  of  the  last  decade. 

ENLISTING  FOR  PARISH  SERVICE 

Enlistment  in  local  work  also  is  important,  and  in  the  last 
analysis  a  problem  of  education.  This  is  not  left  to  occa¬ 
sional  appeals  and  haphazard  volunteering  on  the  part  of  the 
membership  in  the  various  church  activities.  The  strength 
of  these  churches  is  derived  in  part  from  the  constant  pres- 

3  These  figures  do  not  include  those  from  a  nineteenth  church, 
Buckhorn,  Kentucky.  This  church  in  the  southern  mountains  has 
a  school  as  part  of  its  plant.  It  has  not  kept  complete  records 
but  it  is  a  conservative  estimate  that  in  the  last  decade  more  than 
100  of  its  members  have  gone  into  one  or  another  type  of  Christian 
service.  It  is  perhaps  significant  that  the  one  church  of  all  the 
forty  which  controls  the  education  of  its  community  is  the  one 
which  has  been  able  to  accomplish  this  significant  achievement. 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 


59 


sure  put  upon  every  available  individual  to  give  some  regular 
service  in  connection  with  the  church  program.  Several 
methods  of  enlistment  are  used.  The  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  of  Duncannon,  Pennsylvania,  conducts  a  campaign 
for  service  at  the  time  of  the  annual  financial  campaign. 
Members  are  asked  to  sign  a  church  loyalty  covenant  which 
indicates  the  kind  of  service  they  are  willing  to  accept.  A 
similar  method  is  used  by  quite  a  number  of  other  churches, 
though  “Volunteer  Day,”  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  is  not  set 
at  the  same  time  as  the  financial  campaign.  One  of  the  cards 
distributed  for  volunteers  to  sign  follows : 

METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  SOUTH 
Prairie  Grove,  Arkansas 
The  Church  with  a  Community  Program 
VOLUNTEER  DAY 

Realizing  that  the  success  of  the  church  depends  upon  my 
efforts,  I  volunteer  for  the  period  of  one  year,  to  give  my  best 
to  the  MASTER  in  every  way.  And,  to  do  special  work  as 
indicated : 

i.  Personal  work....,  2.  Sunday  school  work....,  3.  Group 
work  with  boys. . . .,  4.  Group  work  with  girls. . . .,  5.  Commu¬ 
nity  Social  Work....,  6.  Gospel  Team  Work....,  7.  Automo¬ 
bile  Service....,  8.  Ep worth  League  Work....,  9.  Prayer 

Meeting  Work. . . .,  10.  Boosters’  Work. . . .,  11.  Woman’s  Mis¬ 
sionary  Society  Work. . .  .,  12.  Junior  Missionary  Work. . . ., 
13.  Choir  Work....,  14.  Gospel  Visitation  Work....,  15.  Gen¬ 
eral  Church  Work. . . .,  16.  Special  Daily  Prayer  for  Revival. . . . 

Many  of  us  can  do  several  different  things ;  check  with  pencil 
the  special  works  you  will  undertake  for  the  coming  year. 
“Give  God  Your  Best.” 

. . Name - Date . 

LEADERSHIP  TRAINING 

Constant  efforts  are  made  to  train  new  leaders.  Those 
who  accept  responsibility  are  made  to  exercise  it.  Member¬ 
ship  on  committees,  wise  distribution  of  chairmanships, 
duties  in  connection  with  social  organizations  and  the  social 
program  are  all  helpful  in  developing  in  young,  new,  or 
diffident  members  those  qualities  of  self-possession  and 


60  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


leadership  upon  which  so  much  of  the  program  of  these 
churches  depends.  Several  of  the  churches  have  definite 
classes  in  leadership-training  conducted  for  periods  of  from 
two  to  four  months.  In  these  classes  matters  of  church 
leadership,  social  service,  Bible  Study,  and  missions  are 
considered.4 


SUMMARY 

Tn  regard  to  religious  education,  which  is  one  of  the  most 
important  tasks  of  the  Church,  these  significant  points  stand  out 
in  the  experience  of  the  churches  studied: 

So  far  as  possible,  classes  meet  in  separate  rooms. 

Attendance,  which  should  equal  at  least  75  per  cent,  of  the 
enrollment,  is  stimulated  by  good  teaching,  by  personal  calls  in 
the  follow-up  of  absentees,  by  rivalry  between  classes  and  by  an 
adequate  program. 

The  general  types  of  organization  follow  the  satisfactory  sys¬ 
tems  recommended  by  denominational  boards  and  by  the  Inter¬ 
national  Sunday  School  Association.  Many  classes  are  organ¬ 
ized. 

The  Home  Department  and  the  Cradle  Roll  are  actively  used 
for  recruiting  members  for  the  school  proper. 

Graded  lessons  are  in  general  use. 

In  connection  with  a  few  schools,  Bible  Study  is  conducted 
for  high  school  credit. 

The  teachers  are  of  high  grade ;  and  the  schools  use  training- 
classes,  workers’  conferences  and  other  means  to  assist  the 
present  teachers  and  to  prepare  new  ones. 

Special  days  celebrated  include  Christmas,  Easter,  Thanks¬ 
giving  and  Rally  Day. 

Social  life  is  not  neglected. 

Denominational  cooperation  is  general,  and  has  proved 
valuable. 

Several  schools  conduct  successful  Daily  Vacation  Bible 
Schools. 

Mission  study  is  part  of  the  program  of  all  the  schools  and  of 
various  other  church  organizations.  A  few  churches  have  con¬ 
ducted  successful  Schools  of  Missions. 

These  churches  have  sent  forth  three  times  as  many  profes- 

4  One  church  not  included  within  the  forty  has  a  junior  member 
on  each  of  the  official  boards  and  all  important  committees  have  at 
least  one  member  under  twenty-one  years  of  age. 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 


61 


sional  Christian  workers  proportionately  in  the  past  decade  as 
have  the  churches  of  typical  counties  studied  by  the  Committee 
on  Social  and  Religious  Surveys. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

The  Sunday  School  at  Work  in  Town  and  Country — William 
H.  Brabham.  Doran,  1922.  217  pp.  $1.50. 

Week  Day  Religious  Education — Henry  F.  Cope.  Doran,  1921. 
191  pp.  $1.50. 

Organizing  the  Church  School — Henry  F.  Cope.  Doran,  1922. 
$1.75.  A  Manual. 

The  Teens  and  the  Rural  Sunday  School — John  L.  Alexander. 

Association  Press,  1914.  151  pp.  $.50. 

Principles  of  Religious  Teaching — W.  C.  Barclay.  Abingdon 
Press.  $1.00. 

Many  pamphlets  of  denominational  hoards  and  state  Sunday 
school  associations ,  covering  all  phases  of  the  work  of  a 
church  school. 

Indiana  Survey  of  Religious  Education — Walter  S.  Athearn. 
Committee  on  Social  and  Religious  Surveys.  3  vols.  (Forth¬ 
coming.) 

Mission  Study: 

Training  World  Christians :  A  Handbook  in  Missionary  Edu¬ 
cation — Gilbert  Loveland.  Methodist  Book  Concern,  1921. 
240  pp.  $1.25. 

How  To  Teach  Training  World  Christians — Gilbert  Loveland. 
Paper,  $.20. 

The  King’s  Business:  A  Study  of  Increased  Efficiency  for 
Women’s  Missionary  Societies — Maud  F.  Raymond.  Central 
Committee  on  the  United  Study  of  Foreign  Missions.  1913. 
Pamphlets  of  denominational  boards ,  Foreign  Missions  Con¬ 
ference  of  North  America  arid  Missionary  Education  Move¬ 
ment. 


TOPICS  FOR  DISCUSSION 

1.  “Sunday  school,”  “church  school,”  “Bible  school,”  “school 
of  religion” — What  aspect  is  emphasized  by  each  name? 
Which  aspect  is  the  most  important?  State  clearly  your 
personal  conception  of  the  aim  of  the  Sunday  school.  How 
nearly  is  this  ideal  reached  by  your  own  school? 


62 


TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


2.  “One  of  the  chief  problems  before  the  Sunday  school  today 
is  how  to  make  of  it  a  real  school.”  1  What  lessons  may 
the  Sunday  school  learn  from  the  practice  of  the  public 
school ? 

3.  Get  from  the  secretary  of  your  school  the  average  attend¬ 
ance  and  the  enrollment  (omitting  Cradle  Roll  and  Home 
Department)  for  the  past  year.  What  proportion  of  the 
enrollment  was  the  average  attendance  ?  The  per  cent,  of 
attendance  for  the  public  school  in  most  places  will  aver¬ 
age  85  per  cent,  and  is  sometimes  over  95  per  cent.  How 
does  the  ratio  for  your  Sunday  school  bear  comparison  with 
this  public  school  standard?  With  the  public  school  record 
in  your  own  community? 

4.  Is  a  good  Christian  necessarily  a  good  Sunday  school 
teacher?  State  the  principal  qualification  for  a  successful 
teacher  of  (1)  children  of  kindergarten  age,  (2)  boys  of 
twelve,  (3)  girls  of  fourteen,  (4)  young  men  18-25. 

5.  What  may  the  Sunday  school  teacher  learn  by  visiting  the 
public  school  classes  in  which  her  pupils  are  enrolled? 

6.  The  pastor  of  one  of  the  forty  churches  believes  that  all 
boys  should  be  taught  by  men.  Do  you  agree  with  him? 
Give  reasons  for  or  against  this  opinion. 

7.  Of  the  boys  and  young  men  between  14  and  21  in  your 
community,  what  proportion  are  enrolled  in  the  Sunday 
school?  Why  are  the  others  outside? 

8.  What  can  the  men  in  the  church  do  to  keep  the  boys  in 
Sunday  school? 

9.  “In  our  Sunday  school  we  young  people  have  been  made 
either  the  ‘cracker’  on  the  end  of  the  adult  whip,  or  the 
overhead  to  the  ‘kids.’  We  do  not  like  either  place.”2 * * 
How  may  a  Sunday  school  prevent  its  young  people  feeling 
that  they  are  in  either  of  these  uncomfortable  positions? 

10.  “But  what  do  we  find  in  the  Sunday  schools?  Study  of 
Israelites,  Canaanites,  Midianites,  Edomites,  of  no  more 
importance  to  our  age  than  Scythians  and  Bactrians.” 8 
Show  how  the  study  of  the  Bible  may  be  made  of  great 
“importance  to  our  age.”  What  element  of  truth  has  Dr. 
Holmes’s  charge,  as  applied  to  some  Sunday  schools  ?  Does 
it  hit  yours? 

1Coe,  George  A.,  “Education  in  Religion  and  Morals”  p.  287. 

2  Thompson,  James  V.,  “Handbook  for  Workers  with  Young 

People.” 

'Holmes,  J.  H.,  “New  Churches  for  Old,”  p.  21. 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 


63 


11.  Should  the  Bible  be  the  only  textbook  in  the  Sunday  school? 
If  not,  what  subjects  should  also  be  treated? 

12.  “The  educational  efforts  of  the  church  ...  do  not  have 
Christian  efficiency  as  their  goal.  The  Sunday  school  is 
committed  to  informational  ideals.”  5  In  what  respects  do 
the  Sunday  schools  of  our  forty  churches  really  pursue  the 
ideal  of  Christian  efficiency  as  distinct  from  the  mere  im¬ 
parting  of  information  ?  What  is  the  state  of  things  in  this 
respect  in  your  own  Sunday  school  ? 

13.  “Spiritual  illiteracy  abounds  in  the  churches  themselves.” a 
Just  what  does  Professor  Coe  mean  by  this?  Do  you  con¬ 
sider  the  statement  true?  If  so,  how  can  the  Sunday  school 
help  to  remedy  the  condition? 

14.  “A  church  must  ultimately  rise  and  fall  with  its  Sunday 
school.  .  .  .  And  yet,  I  fancy,  most  churches  will  appro¬ 
priate  more  money  for  a  quartette  choir  than  for  maps, 
apparatus,  textbooks,  instruction,  and  other  indispensable 
requirements  of  a  thoroughly  equipped  Sunday  school.” 7 
Make  a  list  of  items  of  equipment  urgently  needed  by  your 
own  Sunday  school,  and  ascertain  the  price  of  each.  How 
does  the  total  compare  with  the  sum  spent  annually  on  the 
choir  ? 

15.  How  may  contests  be  so  used  that  they  may  not  be  mere 
devices  for  “speeding  up”  but  may  have  results  that  are 
deeper  and  more  permanent? 

16.  If  a  church  should  include  in  the  budget  an  appropriation 
for  the  support  of  the  Sunday  school,  what  would  be  the 
effect  on 

( 1 )  The  attitude  of  the  church  to  the  Sunday  school  ? 

(2)  The  attitude  of  the  Sunday  school  to  the  church? 

17.  What  lessons  should  children  learn  through  the  collection? 
How  may  these  lessons  be  more  deeply  impressed  through 

(1)  Choice  of  the  object  to  which  money  is  applied? 

(2)  Means  by  which  this  object  is  determined? 

(3)  Lessons  in  stewardship  from  teachers  and  super¬ 
intendent? 

(4)  Christmas  and  Easter  offerings? 

B  Mathews,  Shailer,  “Scientific  Management  in  the  Churches,” 

p.  39- 

6  “Religious  Breakdown  of  the  Ministry.”  Journal  of  Religion, 

January,  1921.  Vol.  I,  p.  18. 

7  Mathews,  Shailer,  ibid.,  p.  55. 


64  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


18.  What  advantages  has  an  organized  Sunday  school  class  as 
compared  with  other  church  societies  for  the  same  age- 
group  ? 

19.  What  may  a  Sunday  school  do  to  prepare  for  its  own  per¬ 
petuation  and  progress  through 

(1)  Cradle  Roll? 

(2)  Teacher  Training? 

(3)  Teachers’ and  officers’ council? 

(4)  Sending  delegates  to  conventions  and  confer¬ 
ences  ? 

20.  Describe  specific  methods  by  which  the  Sunday  school  may 
train  up  the  men  and  women  of  the  future  to 

(1)  Attend  church  services. 

(2)  Contribute  to  church  finances. 

(3)  Take  part  in  church  work. 

21.  If  a  young  man  leaves  your  Sunday  school  with  a  definite 
purpose  to  “serve  God  in  his  own  village,”  is  it  an  accident  ? 
Or  has  the  Sunday  school  made  definite  provision  to  this 
end?  If  so,  what  provision? 

MISSIONS 

22.  How  may  the  sending  of  benevolence  money  to  a  denomi¬ 
national  board,  to  be  applied  to  a  great  campaign,  be  made  to 
arouse  world-wide  sympathies  and  enthusiastic  generosity? 

23.  What,  on  the  other  hand,  are  the  advantages  of  applying 
contributions  to  the  support  of  individual  missionary 
workers?  How  is  it  possible  to  combine  the  advantages  of 
both  systems? 

24.  What  bond  exists  in  your  community  with  some  foreign 
land  or  home  missionary  field?  (e.g.,  missionary  or  other 
person  gone  thither  or  foreigner  or  traveler  come  thence). 
Show  in  detail  how  you  may  use  this  link  in  the  missionary 
education  of  your  church. 

25.  Which  have  proved  in  your  experience  better  adapted  to 
arouse  interest  in  missions,  regular  lessons  in  Sunday  school, 
or  children’s  missionary  societies?  Give  instances  and 
explanation. 

26.  What  special  advantages  are  presented  by  the  concentrated 
work  of  a  School  of  Missions  lasting  for  several  weeks? 
How  may  the  interest  aroused  be  carried  over  into  the 
routine  work  of  missionary  societies  and  Sunday  school 
lessons  ? 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION 


65 


27.  Describe  suggestive  applications  of  the  following: 

(1)  Talk  by  returned  missionary. 

(2)  Use  of  native  costumes  and  curios. 

(3)  Textbooks.  (Give  title  and  characteristics  of 
each.) 

(4)  Special  room  for  Sunday  school  mission  classes. 

(5)  Special  teacher  for  Sunday  school  mission  classes. 

(6)  Missionary  plays  and  pageants. 

(7)  Handwork. 

To  what  age  and  to  what  sort  of  group  (e.g.,  Sunday  school 
class,  children’s  society,  etc.)  is  each  method  best  adapted? 

28.  Describe  methods  of  mission  study  devised  by  your  own 
denomination  for  use  with  children.  Take  into  account 
textbooks,  outlines  of  work,  plays,  pageants,  games,  illus¬ 
trated  lectures,  exhibits,  etc.  Which  does  your  church 
need?  What  other  means  can  be  used? 

29.  Make  a  close  estimate  of  the  minutes  spent  annually  in 
mission  study  by  your  Sunday  school.  What  are  the  effects 
of  this  study  ?  Is  this  a  sufficient  amount  of  time  ? 


Chapter  IV 

WORK  FOR  AGE  AND  SEX  GROUPS 
I :  Boys  and  Girls 

Four  out  of  five  of  the  churches  studied  have  each  at  least 
one  organization  for  boys,  one  for  girls,  and  one  for  both 
boys  and  girls.  In  this  respect  their  situation  is  in  marked 
contrast  with  that  of  the  churches  in  300  rural  counties  sur¬ 
veyed  by  the  Interchurch  World  Movement,  only  one  in 
twenty  of  which  had  such  organizations. 

RECREATIONAL  AND  SOCIAL  ACTIVITIES 

In  their  work  for  boys  and  girls,  most  of  the  churches 
studied  endeavor,  without  discrimination  or  thought  of  re¬ 
turn,  to  provide  all  children  within  reach  with  opportunity 
for  wholesome  recreation  and  social  intercourse,  for  har¬ 
monious  development  of  body,  mind  and  character,  and  for 
religious  training  as  well  as  for  active  service  with  the 
church. 

The  organizations  include  Boy  and  Girl  Scouts,  organized 
Sunday  school  classes,  Intermediate  Societies  of  Christian 
Endeavor,  or  similar  groups.  Form  of  organization  has 
proved  less  important  than  program  and  leadership.  Boys 
and  girls  are  often  banded  in  separate  groups ;  but  the  activ¬ 
ities  for  the  two  sexes  though  differing  in  detail  are  essen¬ 
tially  alike.  The  fact,  however,  that  many  groups  are 
following  well  known,  clear-cut  programs,  such  as  that  of 
the  Boy  and  Girl  Scouts,  or  that  of  the  secondary  department 
of  the  Sunday  school,  which  are  presented  and  explained  in 
the  literature  of  those  organizations,  obviates  the  necessity 
for  any  detailed  description  of  their  activities.  Even 

66 


WORK  FOR  AGE  AND  SEX  GROUPS  67 

churches  that  have  not  adopted  scouting  make  use  of  certain 
scouting  activities. 

Athletics 

An  important  part  in  the  program  is  assigned  to  athletics. 
Indoor  or  playground  baseball,  volley  ball,  tennis,  swim¬ 
ming,  and  basket  ball  are  good  games  for  church  use,  for 
several  reasons.  They  can  be  played  by  the  two  sexes  with 
the  same  equipment,  either  together  or  in  alternating  periods. 
All  are  inexpensive.  All  can  be  played  out  of  doors ;  al¬ 
though  basket  ball  is  more  of  an  indoor  game.  Only  tennis 
and  basket  ball  need  specially  prepared  courts. 

A  church  owning  a  gymnasium  or  having  the  use  of  a 
school  gymnasium  is  able  to  conduct  classes  in  gymnastics, 
and  to  make  more  extended  use  of  indoor  games  in  winter. 
Churches  so  equipped  find  it  well  to  assign  to  the  different 
age-  and  sex-groups  certain  afternoons  or  evenings  of  every 
week.  In  a  number  of  the  churches  this  work  is  under  the 
charge  of  a  salaried  physical  director.  Though  a  director 
and  expensive  equipment  are  desirable,  they  are  not  essential, 
as  the  present  emphasis  of  specialists  in  recreation  is  upon 
activities  requiring  no  equipment. 

Baseball  League 

For  the  boys,  of  course,  the  most  attractive  sport  is  base¬ 
ball.  The  pastors  of  two  of  our  churches  who  had  organized 
their  boys  and  young  men  into  baseball  teams,  found  it  neces¬ 
sary  to  organize  similar  teams  in  other  churches  throughout 
their  respective  counties  in  order  to  provide  contestants. 
The  resulting  baseball  leagues  have  proved  of  great  benefit 
to  all  organizations  participating.  In  both  cases,  further¬ 
more,  they  completely  broke  up  Sunday  baseball.  In  one 
case  the  organization  of  the  league  was  made  possible  by 
the  minister  who,  backed  by  a  guarantee  from  his  boys, 
persuaded  the  parents  to  give  them  Saturday  half-holidays 
from  farm  work  regularly  in  return  for  the  abandonment  of 
Sunday  baseball. 


68  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 
Hiking 

Another  activity  favored  by  church  leaders  is  hiking. 
Hikes  are  something  more  than  walks  in  the  open ;  they  have 
objectives,  such  as  the  study  of  geology  or  bird  lore.  The 
pastor  of  the  Methodist  Church  at  Bingham  Canyon,  Utah, 
the  greatest  copper  camp  in  the  world,  uses  hiking  with 
unusual  effect.  The  single,  squalid  street  of  the  camp  runs 
for  thirteen  miles  through  a  narrow  ravine  without  a  single 
tree.  At  four  in  the  morning  the  pastor  arouses  his  scouts, 
that  they  may  be  ready  to  tramp  two  and  a  quarter  miles, 
through  a  tunnel  before  the  movement  of  cars  of  ore  begins. 
At  the  other  end  of  the  tunnel  the  boys  come  to  a  beautiful 
camp-site  of  the  Methodist  Epworth  League,  where  they  can 
study  nature  to  their  heart’s  content.1  Hikes  for  boys  and 
girls  together  have  sometimes  proved  successful. 

Coasting 

In  winter  some  churches  provide  facilities  for  coasting. 
Several  own  their  own  bobsleds,  which  are  much  in  demand 
when  the  snow  is  on  the  ground.2 

Rodeo 

Out  on  the  western  slope  of  the  Rockies  the  boys  of  the 
Collbran  Congregational  church  have  an  annual  junior  rodeo, 
including  a  baseball  game,  a  wild  west  show  with  real 
broncho  busting,  steer  riding  and  horse  racing. 

Camping 

At  least  five  of  the  churches  have  camps.  Camping  is  no 
longer  a  very  costly  enterprise.  The  Boy  Scouts  and  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  furnish  in  pamphlet  form  many  useful  hints. 

1  See  “Churches  of  Distinction  in  Town  and  Country/’  Chapter  IV. 

3  Because  one  boys’  club  in  a  church  not  included  in  this  study 
owned  a  bobsled  and  raced  it  against  the  boys  of  another  church, 
two  whole  counties  have  come  to  have  a  bobsled  league,  the  annual 
tournament  of  which  draws  hundreds  of  people  from  interested 
neighborhoods. 


WORK  FOR  AGE  AND  SEX  GROUPS 


69 


Men’s  Bible  classes  in  several  of  these  churches  have  under¬ 
taken  to  finance  the  enterprise  at  least  in  part.  In  one  church 
the  cost  per  boy  is  as  low  as  $2.50  for  two  weeks.  The 
church  owns  permanent  camp  equipment;  and  to  reduce 
transportation  expenses  the  boys  are  taken  to  the  camp  in 
automobiles. 

In  camp  programs,  an  important  part  is  given  to  athletics, 
particularly  water  sports,  and  to  nature  study.  Discipline  of 
the  camp  is  easily  maintained  by  the  infliction  of  penalties 
for  the  infraction  of  rules.  It  is  of  the  utmost  importance 
to  have  a  program  and  to  keep  it  running  on  schedule  time. 
The  arrangement  of  the  program  is  of  less  importance.  For 
impressionable  adolescents  the  free  life  in  the  open,  the 
study  of  nature  and  woodcraft,  the  heart-to-heart  talks 
around  the  camp  fire  in  the  evening,  the  mystery  of  the  night 
as  sleep  closes  about  the  camper — all  these  help  to  build 
character  and  to  deepen  Christian  loyalty.  Some  of  the 
leaders  are  volunteers.  Some  churches  which  do  not  main¬ 
tain  camps,  send  boys  to  county  or  regional  camps  of  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  or  of  the  Boy  Scouts. 


Vocational  Training 

The  program  is  by  no  means  exclusively  one  of  physical 
activity.  Several  of  the  churches  have  weekly  or  fortnightly 
club  meetings  for  organizations  of  both  sexes.  No  feature 
of  these  meetings  seems  to  be  more  appreciated  by  the 
youngsters  than  that  relating  to  vocational  guidance.  The 
leader  invites  representatives  of  various  professions  and 
occupations  to  address  the  group.  The  lawyer,  the  doctor, 
the  contractor,  or  if  it  be  a  girls’  club,  the  teacher,  the  Home 
Demonstration  Agent,  the  landscape  gardener,  or  the  nurse 
each  talks  to  the  group  about  his  or  her  profession.  The 
talk  is  followed  by  a  general  questioning  of  the  speaker. 
On  such  occasions  the  boys  and  girls  show  unusual  interest. 
The  addresses  supplement  in  an  ideal  way  any  vocational 
work  that  may  be  undertaken  by  the  school. 


70  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 
Character  Reading 

Character  reading  has  attracted  to  one  minister,  for  an 
interview,  virtually  every  boy  and  girl  in  his  community. 
They  have  been  intensely  interested  in  what  he  has  told  them 
of  themselves.  Organized  athletic  activities  are  of  very 
great  value  to  a  leader  possessed  of  insight,  in  that  they 
enable  him  to  understand  the  characters  of  the  boys  and  girls, 
which  understanding  may  be  put  to  good  use  in  the  effort 
to  lead  them  to  the  great  decision  of  the  Christian  life. 

Other  Activities 

A  number  of  these  churches  include  in  their  programs 
provision  for  sex  education. 

Several  churches,  moreover,  make  effective  use  of  training 
in  music.  One  conducts  an  orchestra  of  seventeen  pieces ; 
several  have  bands.  Others,  under  the  leadership  of  pro¬ 
fessional  musicians,  have  trained  junior  choirs,  or  choruses. 
One  church  has  two  choirs,  one  of  children  and  one  of  young 
people.  The  young  people  sing  each  Sunday  at  the  evening 
service.  From  the  point  of  view  of  church  leaders,  work 
with  musical  groups  has  several  peculiar  advantages.  The 
children  develop  a  real  love  of  music,  and  enjoy  the  practice 
hours.  The  group  effort,  by  its  curbing  of  the  natural  desire 
of  the  young  to  win  personal  approval,  affords  a  training  in 
teamwork  of  the  utmost  value.  The  singing  for  services, 
especially  as  this  is  ordered  by  liturgical  churches,  stimulates 
love  of  the  church,  and  habits  of  church-going. 

EDUCATIONAL  ACTIVITIES 

Agriculture 

A  number  of  the  churches  conduct  educational  activities 
adapted  to  the  life  of  the  boys  and  girls.  Through  church 
initiative,  pig-clubs,  calf-clubs,  tomato-clubs,  or  canning- 
clubs  are  organized  under  the  charge  of  the  county  agent  or 
the  home  demonstration  agent.  The  colored  churches  of  the 


WORK  FOR  AGE  AND  SEX  GROUPS 


71 


Methodist  Episcopal  circuit  near  Gonzales,  Texas,  hold  an 
annual  exhibit  of  cotton,  vegetables,  fruit,  and  hogs  raised 
by  the  boys  and  girls  under  the  direction  of  the  club  leader. 
Prize  winners  are  given  a  free  trip  to  San  Antonio.  Through 
these  exhibitions,  the  fathers  are  challenged  to  equal  or 
improve  upon  the  work  of  their  children. 

Simple  courses  are  sometimes  given  in  hygiene,  nursing, 
and  cooking. 

Collections 

Some  of  the  churches  take  advantage  of  the  normal  in¬ 
terest  of  adolescents  in  collecting.  It  little  matters  at  this 
age  just  what  is  collected,  whether  butterflies  or  arrow-heads 
or  stamps.  A  wise  leader  can  make  good  use  educationally 
of  this  interest  in  collecting.  Annual  exhibits  of  collections 
can  be  made  to  focus  the  attention  of  the  parents  and  the 
community  upon  what  is  being  done. 

Radio 

Two  of  the  boys’  clubs  in  these  churches  have  radio  outfits. 
The  boys  and  their  friends  gather  in  the  clubroom  at  the 
church  or  at  the  community  house  to  listen  to  the  voices  that 
come  through  the  air. 

The  Clubroom 

With  boys’  and  girls’  organizations,  proprietorship  in  a 
special  room  means  a  great  deal.  Most  of  the  churches 
having  such  facilities  allow  the  different  groups  to  express 
themselves  in  their  own  rooms  by  means  of  pictures  and 
other  decorations.  Besides  promoting  a  sense  of  ownership 
in  the  youngsters,  this  allows  a  group  leader  to  cultivate 
habits  of  neatness  in  them  and  to  teach  them  elementary 
principles  of  interior  decoration.  Boys  and  girls  who  feel 
that  a  part  of  a  building  is  actually  theirs  are  more  inclined 
to  respect  the  entire  edifice. 


72  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


SERVICE 

Adolescents  naturally  receive  more  from  the  church  than 
they  can  contribute  in  return;  yet  it  is  the  experience  of 
these  churches  that  the  boys  and  girls  are  eager  to  serve 
when  they  can.  They  help  distribute  the  church  papers. 
They  aid  in  helping  the  sick  and  those  in  need.  Since  the 
boys  of  one  community  were  organized  by  the  church,  a 
certain  widow  has  never  been  obliged  to  chop  a  stick  of 
wood.  The  boys  also  usher  at  the  church  services ;  though 
they  doubtless  prefer  taking  care  of  the  stereopticon  and 
other  parts  of  the  recreational  equipment. 

The  Boy  Scouts  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Dayton, 
Indiana,  form  the  Village  Fire  Department;  they  have  charge 
of  the  apparatus  and  respond  to  all  alarms,  which  are 
sounded  on  the  village  church  bell.  Their  prompt  work  has 
checked  more  than  one  serious  conflagration. 

II :  Children 

Activities  for  younger  children  are  almost  entirely  within 
the  Sunday  school  or  the  Junior  Christian  Endeavor,  and 
are  simple  in  their  nature.  A  large  number  of  the  churches 
have  the  children  at  morning  worship  for  what  is  called  a 
“Junior  Sermon/’  and  two  have  them  fully  organized  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  well-known  Junior  Congregation  plan.3 

Some  organizations,  among  them  the  Queen  Esthers  and 
the  King’s  Heralds,  study  interesting  courses  on  missions 
and  undertake  their  own  definite  part  of  the  work  of  mis¬ 
sions.  Of  seven  children’s  groups  so  engaged,  one  supports 
an  orphan  at  a  mission  school  and  one  a  bed  at  a  hospital, 
while  the  others  perform  some  similar  service. 

In  each  of  several  of  the  churches  a  monthly  social  for 
children  is  given  over  to  simple  games  of  various  kinds.  A 
successful  experiment  has  been  made  at  Centerton,  Arkansas, 
with  a  “weekly  hour  of  story-telling.” 

^sThe  subject  is  further  treated  in  the  chapter  on  “Worship.” 
See  also  “The  Junior  Congregation,”  Farrar.  Published  by  Fleming 
H.  Revell. 


WORK  FOR  AGE  AND  SEX  GROUPS  73 
III:  Young  People’s  Organizations 

Most  of  the  young  people’s  organizations  of  these  churches 
belong  to  the  Christian  Endeavor  type,  and  include  such 
denominational  organizations  as  the  Epworth  League,  the 
Luther  League,  and  the  Baptist  Young  People’s  Union. 
The  young  people’s  societies  are  kept  by  these  churches  for 
the  young  people  alone.  The  younger  married  folk  and 
those  still  older  are  absorbed  by  other  organizations  either 
in  or  out  of  the  Sunday  school. 

The  significant  thing  in  connection  with  these  young 
people’s  organizations  is  that  they  have  so  generally  suc¬ 
ceeded  in  working  out  their  own  relationship  with  the  church 
school.  The  church  school  is  specifically  for  religious  educa¬ 
tion.  Each  class  is  a  one-sex  group.  Even  where  there  are 
graded  lessons  there  is  hardly  any  opportunity  for  the  young 
people  to  express  themselves.  A  teacher  is  in  charge,  over 
the  teacher  is  a  superintendent  and  then  an  organization,  and 
the  young  people  have  little  control. 

In  the  young  people’s  organizations,  there  is  quite  a  dif¬ 
ferent  state  of  affairs.  The  sexes  are  not  separated.  Com¬ 
mon  problems  are  discussed.  In  the  programs  the  leaders 
do  not  hesitate  either  to  alter  the  topics  or  to  give  local 
application  to  the  discussion.  The  national  overhead  organ¬ 
izations,  such  as  the  United  Society  of  Christian  Endeavor, 
help  materially.  They  suggest  numerous  committees  with 
very  definite  tasks  and  the  ingenious  young  folk  soon  discover 
the  necessary  local  adaptations.  Through  these  they  share 
in  the  missionary  program  as  well  as  the  local  program.  The 
methods  and  activities  employed  by  all  these  organizations 
are  too  well  known  to  require  description. 

SOCIAL  ACTIVITIES 

Socials  and  “sings”  are  of  frequent  occurrence,  as  are 
musicals,  pageants,  and  more  ambitious  forms  of  dramatics. 
The  Centerton  Methodist  Church  has  a  chorus  of  fifty  voices 
gathered  from  both  village  and  country.  The  young  people 
of  two  churches  have  produced  operettas,  both  of  which 
have  been  given  by  request  in  neighboring  communities. 


74  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


The  plays  frequently  staged  always  prove  popular  and  are 
sometimes  repeated  in  places  near-by.  It  is  important  that 
plays  selected  have  educational  value  as  well  as  that  they  be 
interesting  enough  to  insure  financial  success.4  Literary 
meetings  are  frequent,  and  debates  that  are  keen  and  full  of 
zest.  On  the  programs  appear  such  topics  of  practical  or 
current  interest  as  the  European  crises,  the  present  economic 
situation  in  rural  America,  and  the  county  Juvenile  court  in 
its  relation  to  the  prevention  of  crime. 

A  few  societies  are  organized  to  pursue  together  some 
common  interest,  such  as  dramatics,  music  or  photography. 
At  Bingham  Canyon,  for  instance,  where  the  pastor  found 
the  young  people  going  off  on  Sundays  to  take  all  sorts  of 
pictures,  many  of  which  he  knew  they  would  some  day  be 
ashamed  to  own,  he  organized  them  as  a  Camera  Club  and 
taught  them  photography,  including  the  making  of  lantern 
slides. 

A  number  of  the  activities  of  the  boys  and  girls  already 
mentioned  carry  over  into  the  program  of  young  people’s 
societies ;  for  example,  athletics,  hiking  and  other  outdoor 
activities.  During  the  summer  many  young  people’s  societies 
hold  swimming  socials. 

Social  and  religious  activities  are  happily  combined  at  the 
Brick  Presbyterian  Church  at  Perry,  New  York.  Groups 
of  men,  women,  boys  and  girls  use  the  recreation  rooms, 
each  group  having  a  special  night  for  its  activities ;  and  each 
month  there  are  suppers,  sometimes  for  separate  groups  and 
sometimes  for  several  groups  together.  After  the  meal, 
which  is  never  omitted  except  in  case  of  absolute  necessity, 
there  is  a  religious  discussion,  usually  led  by  an  outsider, 
often  by  a  minister,  or  the  school  superintendent.  In  1922, 
three  groups  studied  Fosdick’s  “The  Meaning  of  Service.” 
No  pressure  is  needed  to  arouse  interest.  Following  the 
discussion  the  group  has  the  use  of  the  recreation  rooms 

4  Community  Service,  Inc.,  of  New  York  City,  will  furnish  a 
list  of  plays.  Some  denominational  headquarters,  especially  those 
of  the  Episcopal  and  Presbyterian  churches,  can  make  excellent 
suggestions. 


WORK  FOR  AGE  AND  SEX  GROUPS 


75 


which  are  under  the  charge  of  a  director,  a  former 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  over-seas  man.  The  average  attehdance 
ranges  from  seventeen  for  the  junior  boys  to  fifty  for  the 
men. 


SERVICE  FOR  THE  CHURCH 


Leadership 

The  greatest  service  rendered  to  the  church  by  the  young 
people  is  the  leadership  they  exercise  over  the  boys  and  girls. 
To  supervise  this  matter  some  societies  appoint  committees. 
Orchestras  of  young  people  with  musical  ability  play  not  only 
for  the  young  people’s  meetings  but  at  the  Sunday  school 
sessions,  sometimes  at  the  evening  service,  and  at  church 
socials  or  entertainments. 

Frequently,  too,  the  young  people  have  assisted  in  a  house- 
to-house  survey  of  the  community.  In  some  parishes  they 
give  clerical  assistance  to  the  pastor,  address  letters  to  the 
members  and  secure  advertisements  for  programs  of  enter¬ 
tainments  or  for  the  church  paper.  Frequently  under  the 
oversight  of  some  older  person  they  manage  the  church 
paper  entirely. 

In  not  a  few  instances  they  have  been  successful  in  evan¬ 
gelistic  work  among  others  of  their  own  age.  The  stimulus 
for  this  work,  however,  has  come,  in  each  instance,  from  the 
pastor  or  some  other  experienced  leader. 

Conferences 

The  Christian  Endeavor  Societies  of  Collbran  and  Mont¬ 
rose,  Colorado,  conducted  in  1921  a  Western  Slope  Young 
People’s  Conference,  attended  by  delegates  from  many 
churches  in  that  region.  The  topic  was  “The  Relation  of 
the  Young  People  to  the  Church.”  During  the  conference 
the  Collbran  society  staged  a  religious  play ;  and  both  organ¬ 
izations  made  it  plain  that  the  future  leaders  of  the  Church 
were  alive  to  social  and  religious  problems. 


76  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


COMMUNITY  SERVICE 

Young  people’s  societies  are  responsible  for  a  significant 
amount  of  community  service.  A  number  take  charge  of 
annual  lecture  courses.  Dramatic  and  musical  efforts,  though 
their  purpose  is  generally  to  raise  money,  make  nevertheless 
a  real  contribution  to  community  life.  In  two  instances, 
societies  have  cooperated  with  membership  drives  of  the 
Farm  Bureau.  At  Centerton,  Arkansas,  the  young  people 
were  active  in  an  anti-fly  campaign  and  paraded  the  town, 
advertising  by  effective  pageantry  the  importance  of  sanitary 
precautions  against  disease. 

Meeting  an  Unusual  Opportunity 

When  hundreds  of  migrant  harvest  laborers  flocked  to 
Larned,  Kansas,  ten  or  twelve  days  before  the  wheat  was 
ripe,  the  young  people  there  helped  to  man  a  welfare  room 
and  every  evening  while  the  harvesters  were  waiting  for 
work  to  begin  gave  musical  and  dramatic  entertainments. 
They  were  able  to  do  this  because  the  four  Epworth  Leagues 
of  the  Lamed  Circuit  had  been  conducting  an  excellent  social 
and  religious  program  in  preparation  for  an  annual  booth 
festival.  At  this  festival  or  fair  there  are  always  exhibits  of 
farm  and  home  products  as  well  as  games  and  amusements 
of  various  kinds,  a  track  meet,  a  baseball  game  and  other 
athletic  contests.  The  proceeds  are  given  to  benevolent 
causes. 

Value  of  Full  Program 

In  these  churches  the  young  people’s  problem  is  not  a 
serious  one.  It  may  not  be  said  perhaps  that  they  have 
solved  the  problem;  but  rather  that  in  many  of  the  com¬ 
munities  there  has  been  no  young  people’s  problem  because 
the  churches  have  conducted  a  program  adapted  to  successive 
ages  which  has  carried  each  individual  through  his  full 
religious  experience. 


WORK  FOR  AGE  AND  SEX  GROUPS 


77 


IV :  Societies  for  Men 

About  two-thirds  of  these  successful  churches  have  socie¬ 
ties  for  men.  This  proportion  is  far  above  the  average. 
Only  one  in  twenty  of  the  rural  churches  in  the  twenty-five 
typical  counties  with  which  comparisons  have  frequently 
been  made,  had  such  organizations.  In  the  successful 
churches  the  activities  of  the  men  are  not  only  responsive  to 
their  own  social  needs,  but  are  directed  to  helping  the  church, 
and  to  serving  the  community.  The  organizations  fall  into 
two  classes :  ( i )  The  men’s  club,  which  may  or  may  not 
include  in  its  work  a  certain  amount  of  Bible  study,  and 
(2)  the  men’s  organized  Bible  class  of  the  church  school, 
which  meets  on  Sundays  for  religious  education  and  also 
carries  on  a  week-day  program. 

MEETINGS 

The  activities  include  meetings  for  debates  on  topics  of 
national  or  local  interest;  for  lectures  or  addresses  by  out¬ 
side  speakers ;  and  for  dinners.  In  more  than  half  the  men’s 
organizations  the  belief  prevails  that  dinners  add  to  the 
interest  of  the  monthly  meetings.  In  some  churches  these 
dinners  are  served  by  one  of  the  women’s  organizations, 
which  thereby  enriches  its  own  treasury.  In  two  churches 
they  are  served  by  the  domestic  science  class  of  the  high 
school. 

These  dinners  afford  good  opportunities  for  the  discussing 
of  matters  of  community  concern.  Often  an  address  is  given 
by  the  county  agent  or  by  some  representative  of  the  college 
of  agriculture.  The  school  superintendent  talks  of  the  needs 
of  the  local  school.  A  member  of  the  board  of  education 
explains  the  school  budget.  A  state  Y.  M.  C.  A.  secretary 
impresses  upon  the  men  their  obligation  to  the  boys.  One  of 
their  own  number  who  has  returned  from  a  trip  describes 
conditions  in  some  distant  part  of  America  or  in  a  foreign 
land. 

One  dinner  each  year  is  almost  always  a  “Father  and  Son 
Banquet.”  Some  of  the  churches  strengthen  the  feeling  of 


78  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


fellowship  there  established  between  the  boys  and  the  men 
by  occasional  discussions,  participated  in  by  fathers  and  boys 
under  the  auspices  of  the  church  school.  These  discussions 
of  course  deal  with  the  problems  in  which  both  groups  are 
interested.  Where  the  organization  has  a  room  of  its  own 
the  men  often  play  checkers,  pool,  billiards  and  other  games. 

SERVICE  TO  THE  CHURCH 

Once  organized,  men  are  no  more  backward  than  women 
in  helping  with  church  business.  One  club  was  responsible 
for  part  of  the  work,  and  for  all  the  money  needed,  to  adapt 
the  church  basement  to  the  purposes  of  a  social  program. 
Another  has  laid  new  cement  walks  from  the  road  to  the 
church.  Others  raise  funds  for  the  general  work  of  the 
congregations.  Some  of  the  projects  for  raising  money, 
such  as  concerts,  lectures,  entertainments  and  moving-pic¬ 
ture  shows,  are  also  forms  of  community  service.  One  class 
arranged  for  an  exhibit  of  local  products.  A  number  have 
baseball  teams  which,  besides  furnishing  funds  for  the  class, 
provide  entertainment  for  those  who  look  on,  and  recreation 
for  the  participants.  Teams  are  often  under  the  auspices  of 
the  athletic  associations.  Such  an  association  at  Sacaton  has 
a  membership  of  seventy  men,  and  a  football  team  that  has 
become  famous. 


LARGER  RELIGIOUS  SERVICE 

The  ‘‘Home-like  Church”  of  Prairie  Grove,  Arkansas, 
has  a  Men’s  Bible  Class  which  has  grown  from  sixteen  mem¬ 
bers  to  forty.  Its  motto  is  “My  Brother  and  I.”  To  each 
of  the  members  is  assigned  a  particular  task.  For  each  of 
six  districts  into  which  the  community  has  been  divided,  a 
club  representative  is  appointed  who  introduces  strangers 
to  the  local  church  of  their  preferred  denomination,  or  if 
such  a  church  be  lacking,  issues  a  cordial  invitation  in  behalf 
of  the  “Home-like  Church.” 


WORK  FOR  AGE  AND  SEX  GROUPS 


79 


REACHING  AN  ENTIRE  COMMUNITY 

The  Congregational  Brotherhood  of  Whiting,  Iowa,  not 
wishing  to  grow  at  the  expense  of  other  denominations, 
brought  committees  from  all  three  churches  into  conference. 
Obtaining  a  list  of  all  the  men  in  the  community,  the  joint 
committee  assigned  to  the  different  churches  all  the  men 
that  had  shown  any  denominational  preference;  the  others 
they  divided  equally.  The  Congregational  Brotherhood  re¬ 
ceived  the  names  of  240  members  and  prospects.  The  pros¬ 
pects  were  interviewed  and  cultivated ;  and  all  the  240  mem¬ 
bers  and  the  prospects  were  arbitrarily  divided  into  four 
teams,  with  a  captain  and  a  lieutenant  assigned  to  each.  A 
spirited  contest  between  these  teams  was  then  conducted  on 
the  basis  of  attendance  at  the  Sunday  school  sessions  and  at 
the  monthly  meetings  of  the  Brotherhood.  Progress  was 
recorded  on  a  chart  outside  the  Men’s  Room.  The  contest 
not  only  brought  fifty  new  members  into  the  Congregational 
Brotherhood,  but  resulted  in  a  similar  club  being  formed  by 
the  Methodists.  Two  important  by-products,  so  far  as  the 
Congregational  church  was  concerned,  were  increased  at¬ 
tendance  and  the  addition  of  several  new  families  to  the 
membership. 

In  three  communities  the  men  have  been  particularly  suc¬ 
cessful  in  evangelistic  work,  as  evidenced  either  in  personal 
work  or  services  in  remote  school  houses.5 

In  many  of  these  churches,  moreover,  the  men  are  prompt 
in  responding  to  cases  requiring  local  relief. 

COMMUNITY  SERVICE 

Successful  campaigns  for  new  school  houses  have  resulted 
from  the  discussions  in  three  men’s  organizations.  Many 
clubs  assist  in  carrying  on  work  for  boys.  One  brought 
about  the  purchase  of  an  athletic  field,  and  a  number  have 
sent  boys  to  camp  for  several  weeks.  Farmers’  Institutes 
have  been  held  by  a  number  of  these  clubs,  and  still  others 
cooperate  with  the  various  activities  of  the  Farm  Bureau. 


5  See  Chapter  I,  “Evangelism.” 


80  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


Several  provide  community  picnics,  one  of  which,  boasting 
a  speaker,  a  dinner,  a  baseball  game  and  an  athletic  contest, 
was  attended  by  600  to  1,000  persons.  Two,  ceasing  to  be 
merely  church  clubs,  have  come  to  include  the  men  of  the 
entire  community.  They  are  still,  however,  largely  inspired 
and  led  by  the  church.  One  of  these  has  active  committees 
concerning  themselves  with  institutions  and  fairs,  marketing, 
roads,  recreation,  benevolences,  publicity  and  membership. 

CIVIC  RIGHTEOUSNESS 

The  esprit  de  corps  born  of  working  shoulder  to  shoulder 
has  been  responsible  for  many  significant  political  victories. 
In  two  instances,  members  of  the  men’s  club  of  the  church 
were  stationed  in  various  parts  of  the  community  on  elec¬ 
tion  day  to  furnish  information  to  voters  and  to  interest  them 
in  performing  their  civic  duties.  One  of  the  communities  in 
consequence  cast  a  90  per  cent.  vote. 

Many  of  these  brotherhoods  perform  for  church  and  com¬ 
munity  virile  tasks  of  many  kinds.  This  fact,  taken  together 
with  the  unusually  large  number  of  brotherhoods  among  the 
churches  studied,  makes  it  probable  that  to  these  organized 
groups  of  men  is  due  in  some  measure  the  notable  success 
of  the  churches. 


V :  Societies  for  Women 

Every  one  of  the  churches  studied  has  at  least  one  women’s 
organization.  The  activities  of  these  societies  are  neither  so 
diverse  nor  so  unusual,  compared  with  the  activities  of  cor¬ 
responding  societies  in  other  churches,  as  are  those  of  some  of 
the  other  groups  in  these  successful  churches.  Like  most 
Ladies’  Aid  Societies  for  the  past  two  hundred  years,  they 
concern  themselves  with  the  general  housekeeping  of  their 
churches,  with  the  repair  and  improvement  of  church  prop¬ 
erty,  and  with  missionary  activities.  Like  some  of  their 
contemporaries,  they  have  begun  to  enter  the  field  of  com¬ 
munity  service.  Much  of  their  energy  they  spend  in  earning 
money,  which  in  the  aggregate  amounts  to  a  large  sum.  They 
sew,  quilt,  and  hold  bazaars,  suppers,  and  entertainments. 


WORK  FOR  AGE  AND  SEX  GROUPS 


81 


A  few  of  these  societies  distinguish  themselves  by  con¬ 
ducting  these  activities  on  a  strictly  business  basis.  Unlike 
the  women  whose  minister  figured  out  that  their  labor 
brought  the  church  one  and  two-thirds  cents  an  hour,  they 
justly  estimate  the  value  of  time  and  of  materials  and  exact 
a  just  return  for  both. 

Two  societies  have  furnished  meals,  not  with  the  idea  of 
seeing  how  many  different  foods  could  be  put  upon  the  table 
at  the  same  time,  but  with  a  regard  to  food  values.  Another 
society  used  the  church  land  for  a  garden  and  sold  the 
produce.6 

An  organization  in  a  county-seat  town  maintains  at  a 
county  fair  a  booth  whose  annual  proceeds  run  into  hundreds 
of  dollars. 

NURSERIES 

A  form  of  service  of  other  than  monetary  value  is  carried 
on  by  the  women’s  organizations  of  several  congregations. 
They  maintain  nurseries  in  which  babies  and  younger  chil¬ 
dren  can  be  left  during  church  services.  Sometimes  younger 
women  and  sometimes  one  or  two  of  the  mothers  care  for 
these  children  and  amuse  them  with  kindergarten  activities. 
Two  churches  supply  cribs  for  infants.  Surveys  have  shown 
that  responsibility  for  the  care  of  small  children  causes  one- 
tenth  of  the  non-attendance  of  women  at  church  services, 
and  that  when  the  mother  stays  at  home  the  rest  of  the  family 
usually  stays  also.  A  church  nursery  makes  it  possible  for 
everybody  to  attend  church. 

OTHER  SERVICE  TO  THE  CHURCH 

The  parish  visiting,  which  is  the  women’s  task  in  a  large 
number  of  churches,  is,  in  a  few  cases,  conducted  through 
one  of  the  women’s  organizations.  A  society  at  Parma, 

9  It  has  been  the  practice  of  several  country  churches  not  included 
in  this  investigation  to  sell  produce  of  a  church  garden,  in  the  form 
of  canned  vegetables,  to  city  consumers,  through  the  society  of  a 
city  church.  The  canning  of  produce,  whether  from  a  church 
garden  or  from  home  gardens,  serves  as  a  demonstration  of 
this  industry. 


82  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


Idaho,  commandeers  the  cars  of  husbands  and  friends  twice 
a  year  to  take  shut-ins  to  the  church  for  special  services. 

WOMEN  AND  MISSIONS 

The  activities  of  the  women’s  missionary  societies  need 
little  description.  Like  similar  organizations  the  country 
over,  they  support  native  workers  on  the  field  through  stated 
collections,  mite  boxes,  or  paid  entertainments  ;  they  pack 
missionary  boxes  or  send  canned  goods  to  mission  stations ; 
and  at  their  meetings  they  study  textbooks  on  missions  and 
listen  to  papers  by  members,  or  to  addresses,  sometimes  from 
returned  missionaries. 

Some  of  the  missionary  organizations,  however,  have  un¬ 
dertaken  more  unusual  enterprises.  Half  a  dozen  or  more, 
capitalizing  the  dramatic  instinct  particularly  of  younger 
people,  are  giving  plays  and  pageants. 

In  some  churches,  one  women’s  society  combines  both  local 
and  missionary  interests.  Mission  study  is  carried  on,  or 
papers  are  read,  while  the  members  quilt  or  sew.  In  a  small 
congregation  this  works  for  efficiency,  since  the  same  women 
usually  make  up  both  organizations.  The  plan  is  much  more 
successful  when  local  and  missionary  interests  are  both  con¬ 
sidered  at  each  meeting  than  when  these  interests  are  consid¬ 
ered  singly  at  alternate  meetings.  The  latter  plan  is  apt  to 
result  in  many  absences  from  every  other  meeting. 

j 

SERVICE  FOR  THE  COMMUNITY 

A  number  of  women’s  organizations  sponsor  a  Chautauqua 
or  a  Lyceum  Course  or  both.  Moved  to  action  by  addresses 
on  the  subject,  some  women’s  organizations  have  undertaken 
work  for  the  betterment  of  schools,  for  stricter  observance 
of  quarantine,  and  for  regulations  to  safeguard  the  purity  of 
milk.  One  society  has  brought  about  the  employment  of  a 
community  nurse,  and  another  has  contributed  $20  a  month 
during  the  school  year  to  provide  milk  for  under-nourished 
school  children. 


WORK  FOR  AGE  AND  SEX  GROUPS 


83 


A  Restroom 

The  Community  Circle  -of  the  United  Church  at  Garrets- 
ville,  Ohio,  has  furnished  in  the  basement  of  the  church  a 
large,  comfortable  room  which  is  open  at  all  times  to  the 
public.  When  the  room  was  equipped,  the  women  distributed 
through  the  Gar  rets  ville  trade  area  the  following  attractive 
invitation : 


TO  OUT-OF-TOWN  PEOPLE 

Friends : 

A  restroom  for  your  comfort  and  convenience  is  now  awaiting 
you  in  the  Social  Rooms  of  the  United  Church  of  Garrettsville — 
warm  in  winter,  cool  in  summer,  comfortable  chairs,  drinking 
water,  lavatories,  light,  and  cordial  welcome.  Bring  your  lunch 
if  you  wish. 

The  United  Church  is  very  glad  to  freely  offer  its  Social 
Rooms  to  the  general  public,  and  sincerely  desires  that  large  use 
be  made  of  them.  We  hope  you  will  repay  us  by  coming. 

COMMUNITY  CIRCLE  COMMITTEE 

In  this  restroom  the  Community  Circle  holds  its  regular 
meeting,  as  does  the  Mothers’  Club  of  Garretsville. 

The  Ladies’  Aid  Society  of  Honey  Creek,  Wisconsin,  has 
been  for  years  one  of  the  most  influential  factors  in  com¬ 
munity  well-being.  It  has  organized,  among  other  things,  a 
Civic  Club  the  object  of  which  is  to  beautify  the  town. 


Missions  at  Home 

A  piece  of  effective  community  service  which  is  also  mis¬ 
sionary  work  of  a  high  type,  is  rendered  by  the  women  of 
the  church  at  Imperial,  California,  to  the  local  Mexican 
women.  One  of  the  church  women  was  chosen  as  a  social 
service  worker.  On  her  committee,  besides  other  women  of 
the  church,  was  a  trained  worker  engaged  by  the  Superin¬ 
tendent  of  Schools  to  teach  the  Mexicans  and  to  work  among 
them  out  of  school  hours.  As  the  plan  worked  out  the 
Mexican  women  were  taken  to  the  parish  house  on  Friday 
afternoons  in  the  school  busses,  and  about  a  dozen  were  en- 


84  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


rolled  in  various  classes.  Women  of  the  church  taught  them 
sewing  and  other  domestic  arts.  The  director  of  the  choir 
gave  them  instruction  in  English.  Each  week,  church  women 
served  refreshments.  At  first  the  Mexicans  were  shy,  but 
they  soon  became  acquainted  and  friendly.  Toward  the  end 
of  the  year  the  W.  C.  T.  U.,  whose  members  had  been  asked 
to  become  Big  Sisters  to  the  Mexican  women,  invited  them 
and  their  husbands  to  the  high  school  for  an  entertainment, 
which  was  followed  by  games  and  refreshments. 

With  a  few  exceptions,  these  women’s  societies  are  en¬ 
gaged  in  the  kinds  of  work  that  have  long  been  familiar. 
Either  because  their  earlier  start  may  already  have  enabled 
them  to  standardize  their  methods,  or  because  women  are 
conservative,  their  organized  work  in  the  churches  that  have 
been  studied,  presents  fewer  features  of  striking  originality 
than  does  the  work  of  the  men. 

SUMMARY 

Some  of  the  activities  possible  for  various  age-  and  sex-groups 
are  given  below. 


BOYS  AND  GIRLS 

Athletics,  including  baseball,  basket  ball  and  volley  ball,  tennis, 
swimming,  etc. 

Hiking,  with  definite  objectives. 

Coasting. 

Class  in  gymnastics. 

Scouting. 

Annual  Camp. 

Vocational  guidance. 

Character  reading. 

Sex  education. 

Collections. 

Radio. 

Orchestra. 

Band. 

Junior  Choir. 

Special  club  in  church,  assisting  pastor  as  directed. 
Cooperation  with  Farm  Bureau  in  various  production  clubs. 


WORK  FOR  AGE  AND  SEX  GROUPS 


85 


CHILDREN 

Junior  congregation  or  children’s  service,  sometimes  in  con¬ 
nection  with  regular  Sunday  morning  service. 

Monthly  socials. 

Weekly  story-telling  hour. 

YOUNG  PEOPLE 

Many  of  the  activities  listed  under  boys  and  girls  apply  also 
to  young  people.  Others  are : 

Weekly  religious  meeting. 

Socials. 

Sings. 

Musicals,  concerts. 

Dramatic,  including  missionary  pageants  and  plays  involving 
character  analysis. 

Debates,  discussions,  addresses. 

Leadership  in  boys’  and  girls’  work. 

Assistance  in  program  of  church  when  called  upon  by  pastor. 
Cooperation  with  school,  farm  bureau,  and  other  community 
organizations. 

MEN 

Game  and  reading  room. 

Debates  and  forums. 

Lectures. 

Dinners. 

Cooperation  in  boys’  work. 

Service  to  the  church  through  raising  money  and  making 
improvements  to  property. 

Community  service  through  concerts,  Chautauquas,  moving 
pictures,  community  picnics. 

Organized  athletics,  especially  baseball. 

Evangelistic  activities. 

Welcoming  and  locating  newcomers. 

Local  charitable  relief. 

Electing  Christians  to  public  office. 

WOMEN 

Raising  money  through  sewing,  quilting,  bazaars,  sales,  etc. 
Utilizing  meals  as  domestic  science  exhibitions  served. 
Maintaining  nursery  at  church  during  morning  or  special 
services. 

Support  of  native  worker  on  mission  field. 

Raising  money  for  missions. 

Mission  study. 

Guaranteeing  a  Lyceum  Course  or  Chautauqua. 


86  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


Bringing  shut-ins  to  special  services. 

Providing  outside  speakers  on  missionary  and  local  topics. 
Work  toward  better  schools,  quarantine  observance,  pure  food. 
Maintaining  a  restroom. 

Service  to  foreign-speaking  groups. 

Parish  visiting. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 

The  Efficient  Layman,  or,  The  Religious  Training  of  Men. — 
Henry  F.  Cope.  Griffith  and  Rowland  Press,  1911.  244  pp. 
Church  Officers — F.  A.  Agar.  Revell,  1918.  $.75.  91  pp. 
Help  These  Women — F.  A.  Agar.  Revell,  1917.  $.75.  §3  PP- 
The  Ladies’  Aid  Manual — Robert  E.  Smith.  Abingdon  Press, 
1911.  $.50.  72  pp. 

Five  Hundred  Ways  to  Help  Your  Church — Theresa  Woll- 
cott.  Sunday  School  Times  Co.,  1912.  $1.00.  364  pp. 

The  Boy  and  the  Church — Eugene  C.  Foster.  Sunday  School 
Times  Co.,  1909.  $.75. 

Boy  Behavior — W.  H.  Burger.  Association  Press,  1919.  $1.25. 
108  pp. 

Leaders  of  Girls — Clara  Espey.  Abingdon  Press,  1915.  $1.25. 
216  pp. 

The  American  Country  Girl — Martha  Foote  Cross.  Stokes, 
N.Y.,  1915.  $2.50.  367  pp. 

Serving  the  Neighborhood — Ralph  Felton.  Missionary  Edu¬ 
cation  Movement,  N.  Y.  $.75.  153  pp. 

Ice  Breaker  and  the  Ice  Breaker  Herself — Edith  Geisler. 

Woman’s  Press,  1921.  $1.35.  163  pp. 

Games  for  Home,  School  and  Playground — Jessie  Bancroft. 

Macmillan,  1922.  $3.00.  556  pp. 

Handbook  for  Workers  with  Young  People — J.  V.  Thompson. 
Abingdon  Press.  $1.50. 

The  Boy  Scout  Movement  Applied  by  the  Church — Norman  E. 
Richardson  and  Ormond  E.  Loomis.  Scribner,  1915.  $2.00. 
445  PP- 

Literature  may  be  obtained  from : 

International  Committee,  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  County  Work  Depart¬ 
ment,  347  Madison  Avenue,  N.  Y.  C. 

National  Board,  Y.  W.  C.  A.,  Town  and  Country  Work  De¬ 
partment,  600  Lexington  Avenue,  N.  Y.  C. 

Boy  Scouts  of  America,  200  Fifth  Avenue,  N.  Y.  C. 

Girl  Scouts,  189  Lexington  Avenue,  N.  Y.  C. 

Woodcraft  League,  13  West  29th  Street,  N.  Y.  C. 


WORK  FOR  AGE  AND  SEX  GROUPS 
TOPICS  FOR  DISCUSSION 


87 


1.  What  specific  things  can  a  society  of  men  contribute  to  the 
well-being  of  a  church  that,  in  the  absence  of  such  an 
organization,  would  be  left  undone  or  be  performed  less 
effectively  ? 

2.  List  the  aspects  of  community  life  that  have  been  improved 
by  one  or  another  of  the  men’s  clubs  described  in  this  chap¬ 
ter  or  in  “Country  Churches  of  Distinction.”  Which  of 
these  matters  need  improvement  in  your  community? 

3.  Compare  the  kinds  of  service  undertaken  by  men’s  and  by 
women’s  church  societies.  Do  you  see  a  specialization  of 
function  that  works  to  the  advantage  of  the  church? 

4.  Has  the  higher  education  of  women,  and  the  wider  activity 
of  many  women  in  welfare  organizations  and  political  life, 
lessened  or  enlightened  and  intensified  the  work  of  women 
in  connection  with  churches?  Support  your  opinion  by 
reference  to  specific  instances. 

5.  What  are  the  relative  advantages  of  (1)  separate  societies 
for  home  and  foreign  missions,  and  (2)  a  single  society  in 
the  interests  of  both? 

6.  Describe  methods  within  your  experience  by  which,  through 
church  societies,  young  people  have  been  trained  to  leader¬ 
ship. 

7.  How  may  young  people’s  societies  like  the  Christian  En¬ 
deavor  and  Epworth  League  guard  against  the  danger  of 
emphasizing  expression  through  speech  rather  than  through 
character  and  conduct? 

8.  Explain  the  value  of  esprit  de  corps.  How  may  this  spirit 
be  promoted  by  healthy  rivalry  among  the  various  church 
societies? 

9.  Are  middle-aged  people  in  a  young  people’s  society  a  help 
or  a  hindrance?  Explain. 

10.  “We  should  probably  find  that  the  junior  and  intermediate 
societies  could  easily  attain  all  their  ends  in  a  Sunday  school 
properly  organized  and  managed.”  7  Discuss  this  opinion. 

11.  What  factors  in  the  ideals  and  activities  of  the  Boy  Scouts 
fit  this  organization  to  the  use  of  church  workers? 

12.  What  traits  and  accomplishments  are  essential,  and  what 
are  desirable,  in  the  leader  of  a  boys’  club? — of  a  girls’ 
club  ? 

T  “Education  in  Religion  and  Morals,”  George  E.  Coe,  Revell, 

1909,  p.  319. 


88 


TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


13.  “Young  people  should  be  given  80  per  cent,  of  what  they 
think  they  want,  and  20  per  cent,  of  what  their  elders  think 
is  good  for  them.”  Defend  the  principle  involved.  How, 
if  at  all,  would  you  change  the  proportion? 

14.  What  peculiar  opportunities  have  musical  groups,  that  is, 
the  bands,  orchestras  and  choir,  as  means  of  (1)  molding 
character,  (2)  binding  the  members  to  the  church,  (3) 
serving  the  church  as  a  group  ? 

15.  What  should  be  the  attitude  of  the  church  toward  Sunday 
ball  games? 

16.  “My  young  people/’  said  a  certain  pastor,  “are  going  to 
dance  somewhere.  To  let  them  do  so  in  the  church  vestry 
would  cause  unfortunate  talk.  I  let  them  dance  in  the 
parsonage,  where  I  can  control  conditions,  and  I  play  for 
them  myself.”  Is  this  minister  right  or  wrong,  and  why? 


Chapter  V 

THE  PLANT  AND  ITS  EQUIPMENT 


An  enlarging  idea  of  the  function  of  the  Church  has  caused 
congregations  in  these  successful  churches  to  modify  existing 
plants  either  as  to  use  or  as  to  structure  and  then  to  erect 
additions,  or  new  buildings,  with  rooms  specially  adapted 
for  the  adequate  performance  of  the  complex  religious  pro¬ 
gram  of  today. 

But  some  of  these  vigorous  organizations  are  still  in  the 
early  stages  of  development ;  and,  with  respect  to  five  or 
six  of  them,  all  work  has  to  be  done  in  one  room  or  in  one 
room  and  a  basement.  These  churches  make  better  use  of 
poor  plants  than  many  others  make  of  adequate  ones.  The 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Bingham  Canyon,  Utah,  for 
example,  which  has  only  one  small,  poorly  equipped  room  for 
social  activities,  nevertheless  conducts  a  live  program  for 
every  day  in  the  year.  The  full  use  of  what  is  available 
holds  out  the  best  promise  of  eventual  extension. 

This  chapter,  therefore,  is  not  intended  as  a  compendium 
on  church  buildings  and  equipment.  It  merely  records  the 
progress  of  these  churches  in  obtaining,  despite  many  handi¬ 
caps,  a  material  equipment  sufficient  to  help  them  realize  their 
spiritual  ideals. 


EXTERNAL  APPEARANCE 

The  newer  buildings  possessed  by  these  churches  combine 
the  distinctive  features  of  church  architecture  with  an  appear¬ 
ance  of  adaptability  to  service.  Each  is  designed  to  be  in 
keeping  with  the  physical  characteristics  of  its  site,  and  with 
the  style  of  neighboring  buildings.  They  are  set  in  ample 
grounds;  their  lawns  are  graded  and  often  planted  with 

89 


90  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


shrubbery.  They  suggest  by  their  appearance  the  ideals  for 
which  it  is  the  mission  of  a  church  to  stand.  Said  the  sur¬ 
veyor  of  one  of  them,  “The  brick  and  stucco  walls  have 
simple  dignity;  and  the  whole  building  seems  to  say  ‘come 
in.’  ” 

The  average  cost  of  the  church  plants  of  these  successful 
churches,  together  with  the  parsonages  and  community 
houses  when  the  plants  include  these,  was  $30,418.  The 
average  cost  of  the  church  plants  of  the  twenty-five  counties 
surveyed  by  the  Interchurch  World  Movement  and  re¬ 
surveyed  by  the  Committee  on  Social  and  Religious  Sur¬ 
veys,  was  $6,048. 


AUDITORIUM 

The  most  important  room  in  the  church  building  is,  of 
course,  the  main  auditorium.  In  the  larger  plants  its  appear¬ 
ance  is  properly  suggestive  of  its  use  for  religious  services. 
There  is  no  gaudy  frescoing  and  the  coloring  is  in  soft  tones. 
The  indirect  system  of  electric  lighting  provides  a  diffused 
illumination  without  glare.  Real  care  has  been  exercised  in 
planning  the  seating  arrangements.  One  or  two  churches 
have  opera  chairs,  but  the  majority  have  retained  the  time- 
honored  pews.  Pews  or  chairs  are  so  placed  as  to  insure 
a  maximum  of  comfort;  and  their  color  and  design  have 
been  made  to  harmonize  with  the  general  scheme.  In  build¬ 
ings  where  the  main  auditorium  must  be  used  for  many 
different  purposes,  some  of  these  features  have  necessarily 
been  sacrificed  for  practical  ends.  The  tendency  has  been, 
however,  to  reserve  the  main  auditorium  exclusively  for 
worship  or  for  worship  and  for  meetings  whose  main  feature 
is  either  music  or  speaking. 

PROVIDING  FOR  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

Planning  for  the  accommodation  of  the  church  school  is  an 
important  problem,  especially  as  the  school  in  a  successful 
church  is  apt  to  grow  even  more  rapidly  than  the  congrega¬ 
tion  and  to  overflow  the  plant.  In  the  rural  churches  the  best 


THE  PLANT  AND  ITS  EQUIPMENT 


91 


plan  has  been  to  build,  along  the  sides  of  the  main  auditorium, 
classrooms  which  may  be  opened  into  it.  Such  an  arrange¬ 
ment  makes  it  possible  not  only  for  the  school  to  assemble 
in  its  entirety  but  for  an  overflow  attendance  to  be  accom¬ 
modated  at  church  services.  An  architect  can  easily  adapt 
rooms  so  placed  to  the  general  scheme  of  a  church  building. 

A  small  church  whose  Sunday  school  meets  only  in  the 
main  auditorium  or  in  one  assembly  room  in  the  basement, 
has,  of  course,  a  more  difficult  problem.  As  a  rule,  a  church 
with  a  large  building,  especially  a  single-story  one,  dis¬ 
tributes  its  Sunday  school  rooms  all  through  the  building. 
One  has  constructed  a  mezzanine  floor  which  is  given  over 
entirely  to  classrooms.  Others  have  placed  rooms  behind 
the  pulpit  alcove  and  organ.  The  slight  addition  to  the 
length  of  the  building  occasioned  by  this  arrangement  allows 
for  the  inclusion  of  still  larger  rooms  on  the  floor  above. 
On  week-days  these  additional  rooms,  wherever  placed,  can 
be  put  to  many  other  uses. 

THE  BASEMENT 

The  location  of  the  church  school  in  the  basement  is  not  to 
be  recommended.  A  church  organization  about  to  erect  a 
building  ought  not  to  plan  for  this  arrangement  unless  the 
land  lies  so  that  the  basement  may  stand  far  enough  out  of 
the  ground  to  allow  for  sufficient  light  and  ventilation.  The 
larger  churches  have  utilized  their  basements  for  heating 
plants,  for  storage,  for  gymnasium  purposes  and  occasionally 
for  rooms  for  the  Scouts  or  for  a  few  Sunday  school  classes. 
Many  a  small  congregation,  however,  finds  in  an  existing 
basement  the  first  outlet  for  an  expanding  program.  During 
sessions  of  the  church  school,  folding  doors  or  curtains,  even 
of  such  light  material  as  burlap,  afford  classes  some  degree  of 
seclusion.  When  these  curtains  or  partitions  are  put  back 
against  the  wall  or  run  into  their  grooves,  the  room  is  once 
more  available  for  social  purposes. 

The  Wayland  Christian  Church  at  Gresham,  Nebraska, 
which  is  in  a  small  open  country  neighborhood  that  is  un¬ 
likely  ever  to  grow  very  much,  affords  an  example  of  the 


92  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


skillful  utilization  of  a  basement.  This  basement  was  forty 
feet  long  and  thirty-two  feet  wide.  An  areaway  of  consid¬ 
erable  size  at  each  window  changed  the  apartment  into  a 
reasonably  bright  and  cheerful  one.  At  one  end  a  kitchen 
was  constructed;  at  the  other  a  stage  with  curtains  sus¬ 
pended  from  wire  rods.  Below  the  stage  was  a  place  to 
store  folding  chairs.  Curtains  provided  means  of  dividing 
the  space  into  six  classrooms  for  the  use  of  the  school  on 
Sunday. 

SPACE  AND  EQUIPMENT  FOR  COMMUNITY  SERVICE 

Community  service  has  a  real  place  in  the  program  of 
these  churches,  though  it  is  incidental  to  their  other  activities. 
The  adapting  of  their  plants  to  various  community  uses, 
including  recreation,  has  presented  little  difficulty.  Rooms 
used  on  Sunday  for  organized  classes  are  clubrooms,  game- 
rooms,  or  reading-rooms  during  the  week.  Restrooms  open 
on  holidays  to  farmer’s  wives,  and  where  country  families 
may  even  eat  their  luncheons,  become  on  Sundays  nurseries 
and  kindergartens  where  mothers  wishing  to  attend  services 
may  leave  their  babies  in  the  care  of  trustworthy  persons. 

Much  of  the  community  program  is  carried  on  in  the 
basement  or  the  community  house.  The  Brick  Presbyterian 
Church  at  Perry,  New  York,  has  in  its  basement  a  kitchen, 
a  serving-room,  and  five  recreation  rooms  which  are  pro¬ 
vided  with  reading  matter  and  games.  The  equipment  in¬ 
cludes  two  bowling  alleys  (the  best  in  the  town),  a  pool 
table,  a  cue-rocque  table  (primarily  for  boys  and  girls 
under  fifteen  but  used  by  persons  of  all  ages),  a  shuffle 
board,  and  provision  for  table  baseball  and  half  a  dozen 
smaller  games. 


THE  KITCHEN 

A  kitchen  has  become  so  generally  recognized  as  an  im¬ 
portant  part  of  the  social  equipment  of  a  church  that  it  is 
not  surprising  to  find  that  each  of  thirty-four  of  the  church 
plants  has  one.  In  some  instances  advice  regarding  equip¬ 
ment  has  been  given  by  the  Home  Economics  Department  of 


THE  PLANT  AND  ITS  EQUIPMENT 


93 


the  college  of  agriculture  of  the  state,  and  in  one  or  two 
cases  by  the  county  Home  Demonstration  Agent.  There 
has  been  effort  to  make  the  kitchen  a  model  one.  Tables, 
range,  sink,  and  cupboard  have  been  so  placed  as  to  make 
for  the  highest  degree  of  efficiency  and  the  fewest  possible 
steps  for  the  worker.  In  some  cases  sinks  have  been  built  in, 
and  draining  boards  have  been  made  ample  for  the  number 
of  dishes  to  be  cared  for.  To  remove  danger  of  waiters 
bumping  into  one  another  at  church  suppers,  with  resulting 
breakage  of  dishes,  most  of  the  kitchens  have  two  serving 
windows,  one  for  outgoing  and  one  for  incoming  trays. 

The  kitchen  equipment  is  surprisingly  complete.  In  the 
church  at  Parma  there  is  a  modern  electric  range  instead  of 
the  rusty  old  stove  usually  provided  for  the  women’s  so¬ 
cieties;  and  the  same  church  has  a  hot-water  heater.  An¬ 
other  church  has  a  five-gallon  electric  coffee-maker.  The 
churches  are  well  stocked  with  china;  one  has  in  its  cup¬ 
boards  six  dozen  of  everything  needed  for  the  tables.  Often 
too  the  china  is  of  attractive  design  and  adds  to  the  effec¬ 
tiveness  of  tables  set  for  a  banquet.  In  some  cases  it  is 
marked,  as  is  the  glassware  as  well  as  the  silverware,  with 
the  initials  of  the  church,  which  occasionally  lends  this  part 
of  its  equipment  to  less  fortunate  organizations.  The  equip¬ 
ment  also  includes  such  necessary  articles  as  soap-shakers, 
can-openers,  measuring-cups,  and  other  devices  that  make 
for  efficiency  in  the  kitchen. 

Kitchen  utensils  are  sometimes  acquired  through  a  kitchen- 
shower.  The  women  of  one  church  had  a  supply  of  articles 
they  wanted  placed  in  a  store  window  and  people  chose  their 
gifts  from  these.  As  a  result  articles  not  needed  were  not 
included  among  the  gifts. 

THE  STAGE 

In  the  programs  of  a  dozen  of  the  churches  considerable 
prominence  is  given  to  amateur  theatricals.  One,  with 
hardly  any  equipment,  places  screens  of  various  colors, 
heights,  and  designs  across  one  end  of  the  Sunday  school 
as  a  stage  setting.  Another  has  built  a  good  platform,  upon 


94  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


which  the  pulpit  is  placed  on  Sunday.  A  properly  con¬ 
structed  stage  may  become  a  gallery  from  which  an  audience 
may  watch  a  basket  ball  game  on  the  floor  below ;  and  should 
be  large  enough  for  use  by  an  orchestra  during  Sunday 
school  sessions.  Painted  scenery  and  drops  of  expensive 
material  are  unnecessary.  For  both  front  drop  and  back¬ 
ground,  excellent  substitutes  for  these  may  be  made  of  gray 
canton  flannel.  This  costs  little,  is  of  neutral  color,  does  not 
soil  easily  and  falls  in  graceful  folds.  With  proper  lighting 
and  carefully  selected  stage  furniture,  it  can  be  made  to 
create  the  desired  illusion.  To  avoid  embarrassment  to 
amateur  Thespians  trying  to  rid  themselves  of  make-up  after 
a  performance,  a  certain  church  has  running  water  in  dress¬ 
ing-rooms  at  the  end  of  the  stage. 

OTHER  DETAILS 

The  rooms  in  the  buildings  of  these  churches  are  all  as 
serviceable  as  they  can  possibly  be.  Just  as  the  lessons  in 
the  church  school  are  graded  to  suit  the  ages  of  the  pupils, 
so  the  chairs  are  graded  to  suit  the  size.  Pictures  and  coat- 
hooks  are  placed  low  for  the  use  of  the  smaller  children. 
The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Cimarron,  New  Mexico, 
has  a  checkroom  for  hats  and  coats.  It  also  has  a  social-room 
with  soft  green  hangings,  reed  tables,  easy-chairs,  and 
shaded  lights,  making  it  not  only  attractive  but  a  model  of 
good  taste.  A  model  in  its  way  also  is  the  room  for  the 
girls  at  Parma,  with  its  blue  and  brown  floor,  its  leather 
couch  and  its  attractive  wicker  chairs.  More  than  one  of 
these  churches  has  grouped  rooms  around  a  fireplace  to  give 
the  homelike  atmosphere  of  a  living-room  or  the  cozy  effect 
of  a  woodman’s  cabin.  And  effects  of  this  kind  are  worth 
far  more  than  their  small  additional  cost,  which  is  easily  met 
when  the  interested  church  organizations  provide  the  equip¬ 
ment  for  their  own  rooms. 

Both  the  success  of  these  churches  in  arranging  for  de¬ 
tails  and  the  few  mistakes  which  some  of  them  have  made, 
lead  to  the  recommendation  that  a  congregation  ought  not 
to  go  far  with  any  plans  for  building  or  remodeling  a 


THE  PLANT  AND  ITS  EQUIPMENT 


95 


church  without  consulting  experts.  Not  many  small-town 
architects  are  likely  to  be  informed  regarding  all  the  features 
of  a  comfortable  and  efficient  church  plant.  To  their  aid 
can  be  summoned  the  experts  of  the  architectural  bureau  of 
the  denomination;  and  workers  from  the  state  college  of 
agriculture  will  advise  concerning  such  matters  as  grounds, 
interior  decoration,  and  the  kitchen.  In  nothing  is  expert 
advice  more  needed  than  in  the  selection  of  the  church  organ 
and  the  heating  plant. 

GYMNASIUM  AND  COMMUNITY  HOUSE 

Nearly  half  the  churches  have  gymnasiums.  Some  of 
these  are  in  separate  community  houses,  some  under  the  same 
roof  as  the  auditorium  for  worship.  In  a  number  of  in¬ 
stances  the  gymnasium  of  the  week  day  is  the  church  school 
room  of  the  Sunday ;  and  this  is  not  a  bad  adaptation.  The 
minimum  equipment  for  a  gymnasium  is  inexpensive  and 
useful.  A  pair  of  basket  ball  goals  can  be  attached  to  back¬ 
ing  boards  of  the  proper  size  and  erected  on  poles  by  volun¬ 
teer  labor.  A  volley  ball  with  net  can  be  purchased  for  less 
than  $10.  This  game,  too  little  known,  is  suited  to  both 
sexes  and  almost  all  ages.  Another  useful  game  involving 
little  expense  is  indoor  baseball.  Even  with  the  minimum  of 
athletic  equipment  a  great  deal  can  be  accomplished,  espe¬ 
cially  if  there  are  local  leaders  to  conduct  gymnastics  not 
requiring  the  use  of  apparatus.  The  equipment  can  be  in¬ 
definitely  expanded.  Suitable  mats  are  needed  with  some 
apparatus  and  for  wrestling;  but  with  these  begin  the  larger 
costs.  It  would  be  better  at  first  to  install  shower  baths, 
lest  overheated  children  leave  the  building  without  taking 
proper  precautions  for  putting  their  bodies  in  normal  con¬ 
dition. 

The  experience  of  these  churches  proves  that  a  com¬ 
munity  house  is  not  beyond  the  reach  of  even  a  small  church. 
Two  of  the  smallest  and  poorest  of  the  group  own  such 
buildings.  True,  these  structures  are  not  expensive;  they 
have  been  contrived  in  each  case  out  of  a  combination  store 
and  dwelling.  The  one  at  Shuford,  Mississippi,  which  is 


96  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


emphatically  in  the  class  of  “less  favored”  agricultural  com¬ 
munities,  contains  a  hall  and  four  other  rooms.  The  hall  is 
being  fitted  up  as  a  gymnasium-auditorium,  with  facilities 
for  community  meetings,  musicals,  and  indoor  athletics. 
Another  room  will  serve  as  a  library  and  sitting-room;  an¬ 
other  as  a  kitchen ;  still  another,  a  large  apartment,  as  dining 
room.  The  last  is  to  be  a  nursery  to  which  the  mothers  may 
bring  their  babies.  Canoga,  New  York,  is  another  village 
below  the  average  in  economic  status  which  has  yet  been 
able  to  add  to  its  church  plant  an  effective  community  hall.2 

At  Lander,  Pennsylvania,  a  little  village  of  500  inhabi¬ 
tants  six  miles  from  a  railroad,  a  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
has  added  to  its  one-room  building  a  two-story  “ell”  to  be 
used  as  a  community  house.  Here  it  was  not  only  possible  to 
have  a  gymnasium-auditorium,  but  to  house  in  separate 
classrooms  several  departments  of  the  church  school. 
Where  there  is  a  community  house,  it  almost  invariably 
houses  the  town  library,  if  there  be  one,  or  packages  of 
books  from  the  State  Library  Commission. 

At  the  other  extreme  from  the  simple  community  houses 
already  described  is  the  Lanier  Boys’  Club  building  of  Grace 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  at  Spencer,  Iowa,  which  in¬ 
cludes  a  gymnasium  with  a  complete  line  of  apparatus,  and 
which  is  connected  by  an  underground  passage  with  a  swim¬ 
ming  pool. 


STEREOPTICON 

Three-fourths  of  the  churches  have  stereopticons.  These 
they  find  invaluable  not  only  for  purposes  of  recreation  but 
for  use  in  giving  instruction.  The  stereopticon  has  become 
an  established  feature  of  the  equipment  of  the  average 
church.  All  necessary  information  concerning  makes  and 
prices  can  be  obtained  through  denominational  boards  or 
from  the  advertising  columns  of  most  religious  periodicals. 
The  churches  in  this  group  obtain  their  slides  either  from  the 
denominational  boards  or  from  various  state  agencies,  par- 

3  For  a  description  of  the  Canoga  plant  see  “Churches  of  Distinc¬ 
tion  in  Town  and  Country,”  Chapter  III. 


THE  PLANT  AND  ITS  EQUIPMENT  97 

ticularly  from  state  library  commissions  and  state  colleges 
of  agriculture. 

MOVING-PICTURE  MACHINE 

More  than  a  quarter  of  the  churches  studied  own  moving- 
picture  machines.  The  moving-picture,  as  an  instrument  of 
religious  work,  is  winning  its  way  more  slowly  than  the 
stereopticon ;  but  none  of  the  churches  using  one  would  he 
without  it.  Two  or  three  machines  of  excellent  make  are 
obtainable.  Advice  as  to  which  is  best  in  any  given  case 
may  be  obtained  from  the  local  moving-picture  operator  or 
from  the  extension  department  of  the  state  university. 

Cost  of  Machine 

Machines  of  a  number  of  makes  can  be  purchased  for 
from  $400  to  $550;  and  as  most  of  these  are  fireproof, 
they  may  be  used  without  booths,  provided  the  proper 
authorities  are  given  opportunity  to  test  them  thoroughly. 
It  is  necessary,  however,  that  they  be  submitted  to  this 
test  and  that  the  fire  insurance  agent  who  handles  the  policy 
of  the  church  be  notified  in  order  that  the  proper  under¬ 
writer’s  permit  for  showing  pictures  may  be  obtained. 

Program 

The  machines  are  used  for  various  purposes.  Most  of  the 
churches  do  not  hesitate  to  show,  on  Sunday  evenings,  films 
picturing  incidents  from  the  Bible,  or  such  pictures  as  “The 
Stream  of  Life,”  “Modern  Samaritans,”  and  the  like.  The 
picture,  when  used  for  evening  service,  is  almost  always 
preceded  or  followed  by  a  short  talk  by  the  pastor,  and  is 
often  made  a  part  of  a  religious  service. 

At  community  meetings,  or  gatherings  for  recreation,  such 
educational  or  entertaining  films  are  shown  as  “Our  Daily 
Bread,”  “The  Land  of  Cotton,”  “Consolidated  Schools”  or 
“Gravel  Road  Construction.”  Of  all  the  churches  studied, 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  at  Rolla,  Missouri,  had  the 


98 


TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


finest  selection  of  general  pictures.  They  included  last 
year: 

“Miles  Standish.” 

“The  Last  of  the  Mohicans.” 

“Mistress  of  Shenstone.” 

“Ann  of  Green  Gables.” 

“Daddy  Longlegs.” 

“Les  Miserables.” 

“Evangeline.” 

“Turn  of  the  Road.” 

“The  Servant  in  the  House.” 

“Shepherd  of  the  Hills.” 

“Little  Women.” 

Various  Tarkington  comedies. 

Cost  of  Service 

The  cost  of  film  service  varies  with  location.  A  church 
in  a  county-seat  on  the  main  line  of  a  railroad  has  to  pay 
far  more  for  its  films  than  one  miles  back  in  the  mountains,  or 
on  the  prairie,  which  does  not  enter  into  competition  with 
moving-picture  houses.  Virtually  all  these  churches,  how¬ 
ever,  and  many  others,  have  found  it  possible  to  pay  for  the 
machine  with  the  profits  from  a  number  of  week-night  enter¬ 
tainments  ;  after  which  either  pictures  may  be  shown  at  cost 
or  the  proceeds  may  be  utilized  for  other  purposes.  A  film 
from  a  commercial  distributor  seldom  costs  a  church  more 
than  $50;  and  a  large  number  of  good  films  can  be  obtained 
for  from  $5  to  $20  each,  plus  transportation  expenses. 

Sources  of  Films 

Of  almost  a  score  of  organizations  which  at  present 
furnish  films  to  churches,  all  have  been  employed  by  one  or 
another  of  our  group  of  churches.  A  number  of  concerns, 
commercial  in  character  but  serving  only  non-theatrical  or¬ 
ganizations,  include  the  International  Church  Film  Service, 
the  Sacred  Film  Corporation  in  America,  Community  Mo¬ 
tion  Picture  Bureau,  and  others.  All  these  companies,  too, 
have  been  utilized  by  at  least  one  of  our  churches. 


THE  PLANT  AND  ITS  EQUIPMENT 


99 


These  churches  also  obtain  films  from  commercial  dis¬ 
tributors  who  have  been  brought  to  understand  the  situation 
and  who  send  only  suitable  material.  The  Famous  Players 
Lasky  Corporation,  controlling  Paramount  Pictures,  has  a 
non-theatrical  department  for  churches,  schools,  and  com¬ 
munity  organizations  which  furnishes  excellent  films  such  as 
“The  Old  Homestead”  and  “The  Little  Minister.”  Similar 
departments  either  have  been  organized  or  are  being  or¬ 
ganized  by  several  other  commercial  distributors. 

Certain  state  universities,  state  libraries,  and  similar  pub¬ 
lic  agencies  send  out  on  circuits  to  schools,  churches,  and 
community  organizations  excellent  films  at  charges  suffi¬ 
cient  only  to  cover  expenses. 

In  a  number  of  cases  a  church  that  does  not  own  a  mov¬ 
ing-picture  machine  has  the  use  of  one  belonging  to  a  school ; 
and  two  churches  obtain  them  at  commercial  moving-picture 
theatres.  One  church  has  agreed  not  to  purchase  a  machine 
so  long  as  the  quality  of  entertainment  offered  by  the 
theatre  in  the  community  continues  to  be  good ;  and  another 
has  promised  to  refrain  from  showing  pictures  on  Sunday 
evenings  so  long  as  the  village  moving-picture  theatre  is 
closed  on  that  evening. 

DEFINITE  BUILDING  PLANS 

Perhaps  it  should  be  repeated  that  a  single  chapter  on 
this  subject  cannot  be  expected  to  cover  the  entire  question 
of  church  erection  and  equipment.  It  ought,  however,  to 
draw  attention  to  certain  definite  situations  and  to  present 
concrete  examples  of  what  these  churches  do.  Three  plans 
are  therefore  submitted  here  to  make  clear  some  of  the  points 
covered  in  this  chapter.  The  first  is  that  of  the  Southern 
Methodist  Church  of  Centerton,  Arkansas,  in  the  foothills 
of  the  Ozark  Mountains — the  plan  of  a  new  building.  The 
second  is  that  of  the  Congregational  Church  at  Collbran, 
Colorado,  representing  the  church  as  it  has  been  rebuilt  and 
enlarged  to  meet  the  demands  of  community  service.  The 
third,  that  of  the  Presbyterian  church  of  Parma,  Idaho, 


Main  Floor 


o  rs  30 . 
Scale  in  Feet 


FLOOR  PLANS  OF  COMMUNITY  CHURCH  AT  CENTERTON,  ARKANSAS 

IOO 


Basement 


FLOOR  PLANS  OF  FIRST  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH,  PARMA,  IDAHO 


IOI 


Second  Floor 


- -t-  - essa - - wsam - ^ - 

PIT 

80WLI  NO  AULEY 

RUN  WAY 

FU£L 


Furnace 


e^E 


f  «  1  <  4 

^ca(e  in  r«.< 


6YVINASIWC* 


1 


Vestibule 


SHOWERS 
j  LOCKERS 
TOILET 


rriixi- 


3  c. 


Furnace 


FUEL 


HJ  C-S 


Gymnasium 


FLOOR  PLANS  OF  FIRST  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH,  PARMA,  IDAHO 

102 


C!laS3  rooms 


front  entrance  I  front 


Basement 


Main  Floor 

FLOOR  PLANS  OF  CONGREGATIONAL  CHURCH,  COLLBRAN,  COLORADO 

103 


104  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


represents  the  best  plant  possessed  by  any  of  the  churches 
studied  with  the  possible  exception  of  the  Methodist  Episco¬ 
pal  church  at  Spencer,  Iowa. 


CENTERTON 

The  plans  of  Centerton  well  illustrate  the  use  of  rooms 
on  either  side  of  the  main  auditorium  and  at  the  rear  of  the 
pulpit ;  also  the  use  of  the  basement  for  an  assembly  room 
with  a  stage. 

The  plan  of  the  main  floor  is  self-explanatory.  The  side 
rooms,  which  during  the  study  period  of  the  Sunday  school 
accommodate  some  of  the  classes,  may  at  will  be  thrown  into 
the  main  auditorium.  Because  these  rooms  extend  only  part 
way  toward  the  entrance,  the  building  approaches  in  its 
architecture  the  cruciform  type;  but  the  unusual  advantage 
possessed  by  this  particular  church  is  that  the  pulpit  may  be 
seen  from  virtually  every  point  in  any  of  the  rooms.  The 
basement,  besides  allowing  for  utilities,  provides  separate 
rooms  for  some  departments  of  the  Sunday  school.  The 
assembly  room  on  the  basement  floor  is  to  be  used  for  ath¬ 
letics.  The  height  is  adequate,  but  the  length  and  breadth 
are  hardly  sufficient  for  basket  ball.  Another  objectionable 
feature  is  the  use  of  the  two  columns  which  support  the 
girder  running  across  the  middle  of  the  ceiling.  It  is  pos¬ 
sible  to  support  such  girders  without  columns,  which  not 
only  obstruct  floor  space  but  add  an  unnecessary  element  of 
peril  during  indoor  athletics.  An  interesting  feature  of  this 
basement  is  a  mothers’-room. 

The  most  uncommon  feature  in  connection  with  the  church 
is  to  be  found  in  the  layout  of  the  grounds.  Set  far  back 
from  the  street,  it  has  a  generous  expanse  of  lawn  and  plenty 
of  shade  trees.  A  large  space  to  the  right  of  the  building  is 
to  be  used  for  tennis  courts,  croquet  grounds,  children’s  play¬ 
ground,  and  basket  ball  court.  With  an  equipment  like  this 
and  a  climate  such  as  that  of  Centerton,  the  handicaps  of 
the  basement  will  not  prove  so  serious  as  in  the  cases  of 
churches  farther  north  or  west. 


THE  PLANT  AND  ITS  EQUIPMENT 


105 


COLLBRAN 

The  basement  plan  of  the  church  at  Collbran  illustrates 
a  commendable  utilization  of  what  was  a  single-cell  church 
plant.  The  building  as  now  constructed  is  in  the  shape  of 
an  L.  The  church  auditorium,  facing  the  street,  is  practi¬ 
cally  removed  from  the  recreational  activities.  In  the  addi¬ 
tion  there  are  classrooms  for  the  Sunday  school  on  either 
side  of  a  hall  between  the  auditorium  for  worship  and  a 
gymnasium.  The  gymnasium  is  used  not  only  for  athletics 
but  for  entertainments,  fairs,  institutes,  and  similar  func¬ 
tions.  The  stage,  which  is  at  one  end,  is  provided  with  a 
dressing  room  at  either  side.  This  part  of  the  building  has  a 
separate  entrance  so  that  those  assembling  for  social  activi¬ 
ties  need  not  pass  through  the  church  auditorium. 

PARMA 

Community  House 

The  plant  at  Parma  consists  of  a  beautiful  church  building 
and  an  attractive  and  useful  community  house.  The  plans 
need  little  explanation.  The  gymnasium  is  large  enough  for 
any  kind  of  winter  athletics  and  is  provided  with  shower 
baths  and  locker-rooms.  Along  one  side  is  a  bowling  alley, 
and  over  it  is  a  gallery  for  spectators.  On  the  second  floor 
is  a  radio-room,  a  reading-room  and  clubrooms  for  boys  and 
girls.  Part  of  this  story  is  open  to  the  roof,  which  is  pro¬ 
vided  with  skylights. 

SUMMARY 

Certain  observations  are  true  of  all  these  buildings. 

1.  The  edifice  is  attractive,  and  the  grounds  are  well  kept. 

2.  The  auditorium  suggests  in  design  and  decoration  its  use 
for  church  purposes. 

3.  The  church  school  is  provided  with  suitable  facilities, 
including  classrooms,  whenever  possible,  and  provision 
for  separating  different  groups  by  the  use  of  curtains. 

4.  There  are  facilities  for  community  service.  Where  there 
are  classrooms,  these  are  used  during  the  week  by  or¬ 
ganizations.  The  basement,  a  wing  of  the  church  or  a 


106  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


separate  parish  building  houses  the  cultural  and  recrea¬ 
tional  program. 

5.  All  available  space  is  used  to  the  maximum. 

6.  Equipment  is  up  to  date.  The  kitchen  is  a  model  of 
arrangement  and  furnishings;  chairs  are  comfortable; 
heating,  lighting  and  sanitation  are  efficient.  There  is 
regard  for  utility,  comfort  and  dignity. 

7.  The  use  of  the  stereopticon  and  the  moving-picture  ma¬ 
chine  is  increasing. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Adapting  the  Church  Building  for  the  Purposes  of  Religious 
Education — Bulletin  No.  5,  Presbyterian  Board  of  Publication 
and  Sabbath  School  Work,  1922,  Philadelphia. 

Planning  Church  Buildings — Henry  E.  Tralle.  The  Judson 
Press,  Philadelphia,  1921.  162  pp.  $1.25. 

Progressive  Suggestions  for  Planning  Church  Buildings — E.  M. 
Conover.  The  Home  Missions  Council,  New  York,  1923. 
$.50. 

Better  Rural  Church  Houses — Frank  G.  Dillard.  Bureau  of 
Architecture,  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Philadelphia  and 
Chicago,  1921.  24  pp.  $.25. 

The  New  Country  Church  Building — Edmund  deS.  Brunner. 
The  Missionary  Education  Movement,  New  York.  141  pp. 

$-75- 

The  Moving  Picture  and  the  Church — Roy  Smith.  Abingdon 
Press.  $.35. 

Motion  Pictures:  The  Experience  of  One  Church — George  E. 
Bevans.  Board  of  Home  Missions,  New  York.  $.05. 

Any  church  contemplating  the  erection  of  a  community  house 
or  gymnasium  should  not  fail  to  get  one  of  the  handbooks  on 
gymnasium  construction  and  equipment,  published  by  such  con¬ 
cerns  as  Spaldings  or  the  Narragansett  Machine  Company  of 
Providence,  R.  I.  The  books  published  by  these  firms,  particu¬ 
larly  by  the  latter,  are  extremely  suggestive.  They  may  be 
obtained  either  directly  or  through  a  sporting  goods  dealer. 

TOPICS  FOR  DISCUSSION 

1.  “Many  great  leaders  of  the  Protestant  churches  are  today 
debating  whether  the  modern  church  should  be  in  the  style 
of  an  office  building  or  in  the  style  of  a  cathedral.” 3  State 

3  “The  Future  of  the  Churches,”  R.  W.  Babson,  p.  59. 


THE  PLANT  AND  ITS  EQUIPMENT  107 

the  case  in  favor  of  each  of  these  types  of  church  archi¬ 
tecture. 

2.  “Its  equipment  is  for  a  church  what  its  factory  building  and 
its  machinery  are  for  a  manufacturing  establishment.” 4 
Considering  the  open  country  church  as  comparable  to  a 
factory,  tell  (i)  what  it  should  produce,  (2)  what  rooms 
and  equipment  are  therefore  requisite. 

3.  “If  the  churches  are  to  have  a  brilliant  future,  they  must 
capitalize  art  and  music  in  some  worth-while,  practical 
way.”  5  How  may  the  church  building  “capitalize  art”  ? 

4.  A  certain  church  has  a  gingerbread  style  of  trimming,  gaudy 
windows,  and  on  the  platform  a  bowl  of  paper  flowers  of 
clashing  hues.  Even  if  these  things  truly  express  the  taste 
in  the  congregation,  is  it  right  to  gratify  this  taste  in  the 
church  building? 

5.  Explain  the  psychological  basis  for  the  view  held  as  early 
as  the  days  of  the  apostles,  that  it  is  a  function  of  the 
Church  to  “serve  tables.”  What  does  the  proper  perform¬ 
ance  of  this  function  make  requisite  in  the  church  building  ? 

6.  Give  instances  of  church  buildings  in  which  features  that 
make  for  efficiency  are  combined  with  those  inspiring 
beauty;  and  explain  as  fully  as  possible  how  in  each  case 
the  double  aim  was  attained. 

7.  There  were  in  the  U.  S.,  in  1916,  203,432  buildings  used 
for  worship.  Church  edifices  are  exempt  from  taxation. 
Some  persons  feel  that  the  public  ought  to  have  the  use 
of  all  this  untaxed  property  for  a  longer  time  than  a  few 
hours  a  week.  How  can  the  church  plant  be  equipped  to 
serve  the  community  a  greater  part  of  the  time? 

8.  “Get  the  spindle  and  distaff  ready,  and  the  Lord  will  supply 
the  flax.”  Should  this  motto  be  applied  to  church  equip¬ 
ment?  That  is,  shall  a  church  with  a  “one-celled”  building 
start  on  a  new  career  by  erecting  an  elaborate  edifice  with 
many  classrooms,  a  kitchen,  a  dining-room,  and  a  gym¬ 
nasium?  Or  should  it  begin  by  entering  upon  work  for 
its  community  and  build  only  when  there  is  imperative  need  ? 

9.  A  church  has  received  a  legacy  to  be  used  either  for  the 
purchase  of  an  electric  motor,  a  pipe  organ,  or  a  moving- 
picture  machine.  What  conditions  should  determine  the 
choice  ? 

4  Shailer,  Mathews,  “Scientific  Management  in  the  Churches,”  p.  53. 
eR,  W.  Babson,  Ibid.,  p.  59. 


108  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


10.  State  several  reasons  for  equipping  a  church  plant  with 
clubrooms. 

11.  Write  specifications  for  a  new  building,  or  for  enlargement 
of  the  present  building,  which  will  enable  your  own  church 
to  fulfill  its  mission  to  the  community. 

MOVING-PICTURES 

12.  Many  people  in  a  certain  village  prefer  cowboy  pictures  to 
any  others.  To  what  extent  should  their  taste  be  decisive 
in  choosing  the  films  presented? 

13.  Would  it  be  advisable  to  have  moving-pictures  in  your 
community  on  Sunday  evening?  Explain. 

14.  Should  moving-pictures  be  given  in  the  church  auditorium 
in  any  circumstances?  Give  reasons  for  or  against  this 
course. 

15.  A  certain  village  has  a  commercial  moving-picture  show 
that  presents  films  not  only  trashy  but  questionable.  Point 
out  several  courses  that  might  be  adopted  by  a  church  or 
a  ministerial  association  to  combat  the  evil. 

16.  Let  each  student  name  any  films  which  churches  have  used 
or  might  use  with  good  results,  giving,  when  possible,  the 
name  of  the  agency  from  which  each  picture  may  be 
obtained. 

17.  How  may  moving-pictures  be  so  used  as  to  prevent  the 
audience  from  tiring  of  them? 


Chapter  VI 

CHURCH  FINANCE 

Not  one  of  the  churches  studied  is  without  a  system  for 
conducting  its  finances;  and  not  one  fails  to  operate  that 
system  with  vigor  and  efficiency.  As  a  result  they  secure 
without  difficulty  the  funds  required  to  defray  the  cost  of 
their  extensive  programs. 

BUDGET 

In  every  case  the  governing  body  of  the  church,  after  a 
careful  study  of  the  receipts  and  expenditures  of  the  past 
year  and  of  the  requirements  and  the  program  for  the  year 
to  come,  determines  upon  a  budget.  As  a  rule,  this  budget 
covers  all  local  expenditures,  sometimes  including  the  mainte* 
nance  of  the  church  school.  In  a  few  instances,  however, 
there  is  a  separate  budget  for  the  recreational  activities  or 
for  the  expenses  connected  with  a  community  house ;  and 
in  two  cases  there  is  a  separate  budget  for  missionary 
offerings. 

PREPARATION  FOR  THE  EVERY-MEMBER  CANVASS 

Almost  all  the  churches  conduct  annually  an  every-member 
canvass.  After  the  budget  has  been  determined,  those  in 
charge  appoint  a  date  for  the  financial  campaign,  and  begin 
to  prepare  the  members  of  the  congregation  for  the  making 
of  their  contributions  or  pledges.  Everything  possible  is 
done  to  inform  the  constituency  of  the  church’s  needs.  The 
pastor  discusses  the  budget  in  the  meeting  of  his  Council, 
and  the  members  of  the  Council  representing  church  societies 
report  upon  it  to  their  respective  organizations.  A  circular 

109 


110  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


letter  is  distributed  to  all  the  members  of  the  church,  and 
often  where  the  church  is  alone  in  the  field  to  all  the  families 
in  the  community. 

These  letters  clearly  and  impersonally  state  the  case  for 
the  church.  There  is  no  scolding,  no  begging,  no  cajoling 
in  them.  They  ask  contributions  on  the  basis  of  service  to 
the  community  and  to  the  world-wide  interests  of  the 
church. 


CAMPAIGN  PUBLICITY 

The  budget  is  published  and  explained  in  the  parish 
paper,  if  there  is  one.  Often,  too,  topics  relating  to  steward¬ 
ship  are  treated  in  one  or  more  sermons  from  the  pulpit. 
Talks  on  the  budget  are,  in  several  cases,  given  at  services 
by  laymen.  Two  churches  have  used  to  good  efifect  a  play 
published  by  the  Missionary  Education  Movement,  entitled 
“The  Canvasser  and  Mr.  Brown.” 

Some  churches  employ  what  amounts  to  display  advertis¬ 
ing  in  their  parish  papers,  in  dodgers,  or  as  headlines  for  the 
letter  of  appeal.  Thus  the  Presbyterian  church  at  Canoga, 
New  York,  began  its  statement  as  follows: 

It  Is  Coming! 

WHAT? 

Our  Annual 
Every  Member  Canvass 
when  ? 

Next  Week,  February  9th  to  nth. 

Kindly  be  at  Home. 

Motto:  “ Every  Person  Giving  Something  Every  Week.” 

Toward  the  end  appeared  this  appeal: 

When  this  letter  reaches  you,  stop  and  think — What  would 
Canoga  be  without  a  church?  What  would  you  do  without  it? 
What  would  your  wife  and  children  do  without  it?  In  the  light 
of  these  things  decide  what  you  will  do  so  that  when  you  are 
approached  next  week  you  may  cheer  the  solicitors  with  a 
generous  response. 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


111 


The  letter  used  in  1922  by  the  Union  Congregational 
Church  at  Montrose,  Colorado,  gave  for  each  day  in  the 
week  the  average  number  of  persons  using  the  community 
building  during  the  preceding  six  weeks,  the  total  showing 
an  average  weekly  attendance  of  2,907. 

You  may  readily  see  [the  letter  continued]  that  it  means 
both  work  and  expense  to  take  care  of  more  than  2,000  people 
per  week.  It  will  take  $175  per  week  to  underwrite  this  budget. 


$ 175  Per  Week— This  Will  Do  It 


10  persons  giving  $3. 

JC  “  “  2 

per 

u 

week . 

a 

.  $  30.00 

.  70.00 

30 

100  “  “ 

1. 

u 

a 

.  70.00 

•50 

•25 

it 

a 

.  C10.00 

120 

it 

u 

. .  70.00 

Loose  offering  . . . 

.  5-00 

$175.00 

All  who  contribute  $25  or  more  to  the  general  budget  shall 
be  given  a  gymnasium  ticket  for  the  year  1922. 

Besides  distributing  circular  letters,  the  Community 
Church  at  Parma,  Idaho,  published  in  a  local  paper  an  article 
called  “What  the  Budget  Means.”  This  article  began: 

Not  a  single  cent  has  been  included  in  the  budget  that  is  not 
essential  to  the  continuance  of  the  Community  Church  enterprise. 
It  seems  high  at  first  thought,  but  let  us  see  what  it  means  to 
the  community. 

Numbered  paragraphs  then  presented  in  some  detail  ten 
contributions  made  by  the  church  to  the  common  life.  These 
were  in  brief :  Religious  services ;  church  building  open  for 
any  public  meeting ;  dining-room  at  the  disposal  of  the 
community ;  community  house ;  gymnasium ;  shower  baths  ; 
auditorium ;  quarters  for  public  library ;  beautiful  grounds, 
and  institutional  activities.  Each  paragraph  ended  with  a 
question,  such  as :  “Would  you  want  to  be  without  it  ?” 
The  article  concludes : 


112  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


If  you  believe  these  ten  things  are  worth  while,  do  your  full 
part  toward  next  year’s  budget.  The  canvass  is  Sunday  after¬ 
noon  at  2  p.  m.  If  you  prefer,  mail  a  check  to  W.  E.  Babcoks, 
treasurer. 

Giving  the  treasurer’s  name  at  the  end  is  particularly 
effective.  Reprints  of  this  article  were  distributed  at  the 
church. 

THE  CANVASS 

After  such  preparation  as  this  comes  the  canvass,  usually 
made  on  a  Sunday  afternoon,  by  the  men  of  the  parish 
going  out  in  pairs.  The  number  of  teams  varies  from  a 
dozen  to  as  many  as  twenty-two.  These  men,  of  course, 
have  been  thoroughly  instructed  concerning  the  items  of  the 
budget,  so  that  they  can  answer  questions.  Such  coaching 
the  church  at  Collbran  accomplishes  at  a  banquet.  It  is 
impressed  upon  the  men  that  they  are  rendering  a  service 
vital  to  the  cause  of  God  and  the  Church.  Every  effort  is 
made  to  gain  interviews  with  every  one,  even  at  the  cost 
of  a  second  or  a  third  visit.  Characteristic  of  the  prevailing 
spirit  of  thoroughness  is  the  following  extract  from  a  set 
of  instructions  used  in  a  cattle-raising  country :  “Get  a  sub¬ 
scription  from  each  member  of  the  family.  If  they  cannot 
give  cash  they  may  give  a  calf  or  something  else.” 

The  canvassers  for  several  churches  emphasize  the  fact 
that  the  budget  covers  the  funds  needed  during  the  coming 
year  for  the  entire  work  of  the  church,  including  on  the  one 
hand  all  benevolences  and  assessments,  and  on  the  other 
all  items  of  local  expense ;  so  that  if  the  budget  is  covered, 
the  church  program  can  be  carried  into  operation  for  the 
year  without  further  appeal.  In  some  cases,  they  also 
explain  that  the  church  treasurer  will  remit  money  to  any 
denominational  board  desired. 

Teams  are  usually  assigned  to  districts  of  the  parish. 
Occasionally,  canvassers  are  allotted  persons  with  whom 
they  have  influence.  The  calls  are  brief  and  businesslike 
and  often  prove  agreeable  both  to  guests  and  to  hosts.  At  a 
number  of  places  the  church  office  is  open  through  the 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


113 


afternoon  to  receive  returns,  and  at  the  evening  service  at 
least  a  partial  report  is  always  presented.  The  names  of 
persons  not  found  are  assigned  to  other  canvassers,  who 
call  during  the  week.  By  the  following  Sunday,  as  a  rule, 
the  task  has  been  completed. 

An  interesting  variation  of  this  method  has  been  tried 
at  Grace  Church,  Spencer,  Iowa,  where  the  stewards  were 
stationed  at  tables  in  the  church  before  and  after  services  to 
receive  subscriptions.  Other  churches  hold  what  is  called 
a  volunteer  day,  in  order  to  lessen  the  work  of  the  can¬ 
vassers  by  letting  those  who  wish  to  do  so  subscribe  volun¬ 
tarily.  For  some  of  the  churches  the  budget  has  been 
oversubscribed. 


OTHER  FINANCIAL  METHODS 

A  small  number  of  the  churches,  instead  of  conducting 
an  every-member  canvass,  raise  their  funds  by  other  meth¬ 
ods  equally  systematic.  Not  one  of  them  lives  from  hand 
to  mouth,  by  passing  the  hat  or  by  selling  chicken-pie  and 
ice-cream  at  less  than  cost. 

Assessments 

At  New  Monmouth,  New  Jersey,  the  members  of  a 
Baptist  congregation  gather  to  make  their  pledges  at  what 
is  called  an  Annual  Roll  Call.  The  Lutheran  church  at 
Stanton,  Iowa,  with  more  than  1,000  members  and  a  budget 
of  more  than  $23,000,  raises  all  its  money  through  indi¬ 
vidual  assessments  upon  members.  A  financial  committee 
of  twelve  men  divides  the  entire  communicant  list  into 
groups.  Those  in  the  first  group  are  assessed  $5  a  year 
each;  those  in  the  second  group  $10  each,  and  so  on  up  to 
groups  of  those  assessed  $50  each.  Every  one  accepts  his 
quota  as  a  matter  of  course  and  makes  the  payments  either 
annually  or  semi-annually.  The  treasurer,  who  is  a  bank 
president,  keeps  his  books  at  the  bank ;  and  thither  the  people 
go  to  pay  their  church  dues,  as  in  some  places  they  go  to 
pay  for  gas,  water  or  telephone  service. 


114  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


Tithing 

A  few  churches  use  the  method  of  tithing.  Of  the  mem¬ 
bers  of  the  Southern  Methodist  church  at  Prairie  Grove, 
Arkansas,  40  per  cent,  are  tithers.  At  the  Memorial  Pres¬ 
byterian  Church  at  Dayton,  Indiana,  a  Tithe  r’s  League  of 
twenty-one  men  contributes  a  little  over  one-fourth  of  the 
total  amount  received.  One  objection  to  tithing  is  that  it  is 
seldom  adopted  by  the  entire  church  membership. 

PER  CAPITA  EXPENDITURE 

The  amounts  contributed,  though  in  the  aggregate  con¬ 
siderable,  are  usually  made  up  of  many  subscriptions  not 
individually  large.  In  Perry,  New  York,  for  example, 
though  the  congregation  is  wealthy  and  the  annual  budget 
amounts  to  over  $8,000,  few  subscribers  contribute  more 
than  $5  per  week.  At  Stanton,  Iowa,  as  has  been  implied, 
the  quotas  set  by  the  Finance  Committee  do  not  in  any  case 
exceed  $50  a  year. 

Where  there  is  a  large  building  program  the  annual  per 
capita  expenditure  per  resident  member  is  above  the  normal. 
Building  programs  bring  marked  but  probably  temporary 
spurts  in  per  capita  giving.  The  ranchers  of  the  Baptist 
rural  parish  at  Arnold,  Nebraska,  who  live  in  straitened 
circumstances,  are  contributing  an  average  of  $42.97  a  year 
per  resident  member.  At  Cimarron,  New  Mexico,  the 
average  contribution  is  $70.24.  The  average  annual  con¬ 
tribution  per  active  member  for  the  1,046  churches  covered 
in  the  typical  counties  surveyed  by  the  Committee  on  Social 
and  Religious  Surveys  in  1920  was  $15.69.  These  con¬ 
tributions  include,  of  course,  those  of  churches  with  building 
campaigns.  The  contributions,  per  resident  member,  of 
those  of  the  successful  churches  now  being  studied  averaged 
$19.93.  The  larger  membership,  and  the  support  from  out¬ 
siders  attracted  by  the  work  of  these  churches,  as  well  as 
from  members,  make  possible  the  financing  of  an  extended 
program  on  per  capita  expenditure  little  above  the  average. 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


115 


SPECIAL  OFFERINGS 

A  number  of  these  churches  colled*  special  offerings  at 

such  times  as  Christmas  and  Easterf  in  addition  to  the 

« 

subscriptions  gained  through  the  every-member  canvass. 
The  Brick  Presbyterian  Church  of  Perry,  New  York, 
reserves  from  $500  to  $600  a  year  of  the  denominational 
benevolence  quota  to  be  raised  at  Christmas  time. 

Sometimes  these  special  offerings  apply  toward  the  sup¬ 
port  of  the  church’s  foreign  pastor.  More  often  workers 
supported  on  the  foreign  field,  usually  native  evangelists, 
are  cared  for  by  subordinate  organizations.  Considerable 
sums  are  often  raised  for  this  purpose  which  do  not  pass 
through  the  hands  of  the  church  treasurer.  Grace  Meth¬ 
odist  Episcopal  Church  at  Spencer,  Iowa,  for  example,  not 
only  supports  nineteen  native  workers  but  the  missionary 
superintendent  of  Meerut,.  India,  whose  name  appears  on 
service  bulletins  as  “Pastor  Abroad.”  The  church  at  Day- 
ton,  Indiana,  likewise,  pays  half  the  salary  of  a  missionary 
who  is  referred  to  as  its  “Foreign  Pastor.”  On  a  smaller 
scale  the  support  of  workers  is  undertaken  by  other  churches 
or  by  their  organizations,  especially  by  societies  of  women 
or  young  people.  The  money  thus  applied  is  sent  to  the 
denominational  board,  sometimes  through  the  church  treas¬ 
urer,  sometimes  directly  from  a  society.  Such  contribu¬ 
tions  for  special  workers  are  allowed  to  count  on  assessments. 

DENOMINATIONAL  CAMPAIGNS 

The  far-reaching  campaigns  of  the  various  church  bodies 
— such  as  the  New  Era  Movement,  the  Baptist  Forward 
Movement,  and  the  Centenary — with  their  inspiring  pur¬ 
poses,  their  definite  objectives  and  time  limits,  and  their 
remarkably  telling  publicity,  combined  with  the  pressure  put 
upon  each  local  church  to  meet  an  augmented  quota — have 
effected  for  the  churches  studied,  as  well  as  for  live  churches 
in  general,  a  considerable  increase  in  denominational  benev¬ 
olences.  In  more  than  a  few  cases,  benevolences  have 
increased  from  two  to  five  times  as  fast  as  has  even  the 


116  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


rapidly  growing  total  of  disbursements.  The  church  at 
Davis,  California,  for  example,  raised  its  contribution  to 
denominational  purposes  from  $40  in  1912  to  $868  in  1922; 
and  last  year  it  over-subscribed  its  quota  by  20  per  cent. 
In  the  past  three  years,  the  Presbyterian  church  at  Middle 
Octoraro,  Pennsylvania,  has  applied  to  benevolences  a  sum 
equal  to  the  total  amount  contributed  in  the  preceding  fifteen 
years. 

THE  FOLLOW-UP 

The  best  of  budgets  and  the  most  thorough  every-member 
canvass  will  not  be  of  great  value  unless  subsciiptions  are 
paid.  These  churches  have  little  difficulty  with  their  follow¬ 
up.  The  money  pledged  is  usually  paid  in  weekly  install¬ 
ments  through  the  use  of  the  duplex  envelope. 

In  many  cases  treasurers  mail,  to  all  subscribers,  quar¬ 
terly  statements  of  account.  Often  each  of  these  is  accom¬ 
panied  by  a  communication  such  as  that  employed  at  Parma, 
Idaho,  which  is  as  follows: 

Enclosed  you  will  find  an  exact  duplicate  of  your  account  on 
the  treasurer’s  books.  If  you  are  paid  up,  accept  this  as  a 
receipt  with  appreciation.  If  your  account  is  in  arrears,  will 
you  not  pay  up  promptly  as  the  church  has  no  other  means  of 
support  ? 

These  quarterly  statements,  with  occasional  reminders 
from  the  pulpit  or  through  a  church  paper,  seem  to  furnish 
all  the  persuasion  necessary.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  best 
follow-up  of  these  churches  is  afforded  by  their  many- 
sided  programs,  with  the  accompanying  publicity.  People 
know  that  failure  to  pay  means  injury  to  a  program  justified 
in  their  eyes  by  its  service  to  individuals,  to  the  community, 
and  to  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven. 

AMOUNT  AND  APPORTIONMENT  OF  EXPENDITURES 

The  average  amount  raised  annually  by  these  churches, 
exclusive  of  mission  stations,  is  $4,900.  This  sum  is  more 
than  three  times  as  large  as  the  average  for  the  twenty-five 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


117 


typical  counties,  which  was  found  to  be  only  $1,445.  The 
amounts  raised  by  many  of  the  churches,  moreover,  were 
well  above  the  average  for  the  group;  and  the  largest  budget 
of  all,  as  has  been  said,  amounted  to  more  than  $23,000. 

In  considering  the  distribution  of  these  large  amounts,  it 
is  necessary  to  remember  that  many  of  these  churches  under 
inquiry  support  large  programs  either  of  building  or  of 
community  service;  and  that  all  pay  the  larger  salary  re¬ 
quired  by  a  resident  minister.  Even  so,  the  part  of  the 
total  devoted  to  benevolence  was,  on  an  average,  26  per 
cent.,  surprisingly  near  to  the  30.4  per  cent,  for  the  twenty- 
five  typical  counties.  This  average,  moreover,  was  con¬ 
siderably  exceeded  by  some  of  the  churches ;  and  two  reached 
the  high  figure  of  more  than  42  per  cent. 

The  portion  of  the  budget  of  the  successful  churches 
which  was  applied  to  salary  of  minister  was  33.9  per  cent., 
a  figure  noticeably  lower  than  the  average  for  the  typical 
counties,  where  though  only  about  half  the  churches  had 
resident  ministers,  41  per  cent,  of  the  total  expenditure 
was  for  salary.  The  church  with  the  largest  budget  applies 
only  10.6  per  cent,  to  salary  of  minister.  This  ratio  is 
comparatively  low  owing,  of  course,  not  to  niggardliness, 
but  to  the  large  scale  of  the  operations. 

DEBTS 

Over  a  dozen  of  the  churches  are  in  debt  in  amounts  vary¬ 
ing  from  less  than  $100  to  $15,000.  In  most  cases  the  debts 
were  incurred  for  extensive  building  operations.  Like  a 
business  firm  or  a  school  board,  the  churches  accept  debt 
as  a  natural  part  of  their  financial  operations.  Most  of  them 
have  made  arrangements  for  repaying  the  loans  either 
through  a  sinking  fund  provided  for  in  the  budget;  by 
pledges  which  are  to  run  for  a  series  of  years;  or  in  other 
legitimate  ways.  One  church,  for  example,  is  making  pay¬ 
ments  on  its  building  out  of  the  receipts  from  moving- 
picture  shows.  Debt  is  not  incurred,  however,  at  the  end  of 
a  year  in  order  to  make  up  a  deficit  in  the  current  expense 
account. 


118  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


HOME  MISSION  AID 

Fifteen  of  the  churches,  that  is  to  say,  three  in  every  eight, 
receive  home  mission  aid.  The  ratio  is  about  twice  as  high 
as  was  found  to  prevail  in  more  than  two  hundred  counties 
subjected  to  special  study.  The  large  proportion  of  aided 
churches  results  naturally  from  the  attempt  to  include  among 
the  communities  studied  at  least  one  representing  each 
special  type  of  rural  home  mission  need.  In  many  of  these 
communities,  such  as  one  in  the  open  country  in  the  cotton 
belt,  or  a  mining  town  with  a  large  foreign  element,  a 
church  could  hardly  attain  notable  success  in  the  absence  of 
aid  from  a  church  board. 

In  each  of  a  number  of  cases,  money  was  appropriated 
by  the  board  to  enable  a  church  to  seize  what  is  called  by 
one  denomination  a  “strategic  service  opportunity.”  Thus 
churches  at  Sacaton,  Arizona,  San  Gabriel,  California,  and 
Buckhorn,  Kentucky,  are  conducted  as  mission  stations, 
serving  respectively  Indians,  Mexicans  and  southern  moun¬ 
taineers.  Others,  such  as  those  at  Collbran  and  Cimarron, 
are  each  at  the  center  of  a  wide  area  standing  to  the  church 
as  a  larger  parish,  the  evangelization  of  which  is  financed  in 
part  with  home-missionary  money.  Of  still  others,  each  is 
assuming  for  the  first  time  a  heavy  program  of  community 
service ;  while  there  are  some  which  are  being  conducted  as 
demonstration  parishes,  to  guide  and  inspire  other  churches 
of  the  denomination  that  lie  in  the  same  area.  No  doubt  all 
of  these  last  named  will  eventually  come  to  self-support. 

This  statement  in  regard  to  home  mission  aid  is  limited 
to  grants  made  for  salaries  and  general  maintenance  ex¬ 
penses.  It  does  not  include  grants  made  to  five  of  these 
churches  for  buildings.  Denominational  boards  dealing  with 
church  erection  make  outright  grants  under  certain  condi¬ 
tions  to  local  congregations  needing  new  equipment.  These 
are  not  continuing  grants  to  be  renewed  annually,  but  each 
of  them  represents  a  completed  transaction.  They  should 
not,  therefore,  be  confused  with  appropriations  made  by 
home  mission  agencies  for  the  continuing  support  of  a  field, 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


119 


which,  in  the  usage  of  most  denominations,  are  annually 
renewable  for  as  long  a  period  as  conditions  warrant. 

In  some  instances,  because  of  peculiar  local  conditions, 
the  grant  must  be  indefinitely  continued :  at  Bingham  Can¬ 
yon,  for  example,  the  constantly  shifting  population  of  a 
rough  mining  camp  is  not  likely  ever  to  support  a  greatly 
needed  religious  ministry.  But  with  some  such  exceptions, 
the  aid  is  given  to  help  a  weak  church  become  strong  enough 
in  time  to  meet  successfully  and  unaided  the  test  of  a  great 
opportunity.  In  many  instances  the  money  has  been  granted 
in  regularly  decreasing  amounts  for  a  stated  period  of  five 
or  six  years.  Few  of  the  aided  congregations  have  received 
help  long.  Some  of  them  are  rapidly  approaching  self- 
support  ;  one,  in  fact,  which  was  aided  last  year,  is  able  this 
year  to  stand  alone.  It  is  reassuring  to  find  that  churches 
so  weak  as  to  require  home  mission  aid  have  been  able,  with 
its  help  and  with  the  leadership  it  ensures,  to  make  such 
progress  and  to  perform  such  notable  service  as  to  justify 
their  inclusion  in  this  group  of  successful  churches. 

FINANCING  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

The  maintenance  of  the  church  school  is  included  by  seven 
of  the  churches  in  their  budget ;  in  the  other  cases  the  schools 
are  supported  from  their  own  weekly  offerings.  The  run¬ 
ning  expenses  vary  from  less  than  $100  to  $448.  The 
average  annual  cost  per  pupil  is  $1.18.  Six  schools  with 
more  than  300  pupils  are  conducted  more  economically,  at 
an  annual  cost  per  pupil  of  $1.00.  The  six  schools  with 
fewer  than  100  pupils  each  have,  on  the  other  hand,  the  still 
lower  cost  of  $0.92  per  pupil ;  but  this  is  due  presumably  to 
their  making  less  adequate  provision  for  work.  The  highest 
cost  per  pupil  is  $2.15;  and  the  next  highest,  for  what  is 
perhaps  the  most  efficient  of  all  the  schools,  is  $1.95. 

STEWARDSHIP  TRAINING 

Both  the  members  and  the  young  people  of  these  churches 
are  trained  in  the  habit  of  giving.  Reference  has  already 
been  made  to  measures  connected  with  the  canvass.  Pro- 


120  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


vision  for  training  in  stewardship  is  in  many  cases  provided 
throughout  the  year  for  all  groups,  beginning  with  the 
Sunday  school.  At  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Lan¬ 
der,  Pennsylvania,  a  large  proportion  of  the  Sunday  school 
members  took  part  in  1921  in  a  reading  course  in  steward¬ 
ship  ending  with  a  contest.  Denominational  textbooks  are 
studied  by  Sunday  school  classes  or  other  study  groups.  In 
some  instances  the  maintenance  of  the  Sunday  school  by 
the  church  is  designed  to  instill  habits  of  giving  through  the 
presentation  of  all  offerings  to  benevolences,  especially  to 
missions. 

In  other  cases  schools  pay  their  own  expenses  and  learn 
thereby  to  bear  responsibility  for  the  support  of  religious 
work.  Several  schools  have  a  budget,  one  item  of  which  is 
applied  to  the  running  expenses  or  to  the  building  program 
of  the  church.  Sometimes  money  is  voted  by  the  school 
to  a  neighboring  hospital  or  to  local  relief.  Letters  from 
missionary  representatives  of  the  church  or  of  the  special 
organization  are  read  before  the  Sunday  school  or  mis¬ 
sionary  society  to  bring  home  the  fact  that  contributions 
actually  produce  results  on  the  field.  A  number  of  the 
churches  distribute  the  effective  literature  provided  by  de¬ 
nominational  boards.  For  example,  the  St.  Mary’s 
Reformed  Church  at  Silver  Run,  Maryland,  distributed  a 
denominational  questionnaire  on  tithing,  and  later  discussed 
it  at  a  meeting.  Stewardship,  again,  is  the  concern  of  one 
of  the  eight  departments  of  the  Community  Church  at 
Imperial,  California. 

The  churches  studied  have,  in  brief,  a  well-rounded  finan¬ 
cial  program.  Beginning  with  a  budget,  they  raise  the  neces¬ 
sary  funds  through  every-member  canvass  or  other 
systematic  procedure,  and  distribute  them  with  due  regard 
to  the  claims  of  both  work  at  home  and  the  Kingdom  through 
the  world.  Generosity  is  cultivated  and  justified  through 
constant  emphasis  upon  the  duty  of  Christian  giving. 

SUMMARY 

Some  of  the  essentials  of  a  good  financial  system  as  deter¬ 
mined  by  the  experience  of  these  churches  are : 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


121 


A  carefully  prepared*budget. 

Thorough  explanation  of  the  budget  to  the  membership  and 
constituency  by  publicity,  discussion  and  sermon. 

An  every-member  canvass  or  some  other  system  to  reach  the 
entire  membership. 

A  careful,  continuing  follow-up. 

Stewardship  training  in  Sunday  school  and  church. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Modern  Church  Finance,  Its  Principles  and  Practice — Albert 

F.  McGarrah.  Revell,  1916.  328  pp.  $1.25. 

Church  Finance  and  Social  Ethics — Francis  J.  McConnell. 

Macmillan,  1920.  130  pp.  $1.50. 

TOPICS  FOR  DISCUSSION 

1.  “The  spiritual  welfare  of  a  church  is  closely  related  to  its 
financial  self-respect.”1  Is  this  true?  Just  how  does 
“financial  self-respect”  promote  “spiritual  welfare”? 

2.  Does  an  annual  canvass  tend  to  distribute  the  financial  sup¬ 
port  of  church  work  more  generally  throughout  the  member¬ 
ship  and  the  community? 

3.  Which  of  the  methods  of  raising  money  described  in  this 
chapter  would  in  your  judgment  be  efficacious  for  the  church 
with  which  you  are  most  familiar?  Why? 

4.  Are  special  offerings  at  Christmas  and  Easter — 

(1)  The  expression,  in  psychologically  desirable  ac¬ 
tion,  of  the  feelings  stimulated  by  these  festivals ; 
or 

(2)  Unworthy  attempts  to  make  capital  of,  for  ex¬ 
ample,  the  Christmas  spirit? 

5.  Do  church  fairs  and  suppers  make  the  “Father’s  house  a 
house  of  merchandise”  ?  Or  can  such  methods  of  raising 
money  be  justified  on  grounds  of  (1)  financial  stress,  (2) 
by  better  social  life  and  recreation? 

6.  “The  more  money  I  put  into  my  farm,  the  more  I  get  out. 
It’s  the  same  way  with  a  church.”  Give  arguments  for  or 
against  this  familiar  assertion. 

7.  A  church  gives  $150  to  foreign  missions,  while  receiving 
$200  home  mission  aid.  Is  this  state  of  things  justifiable? 
If  so,  how? 

1  “The  Church  and  Country  Life,”  edited  by  Dr.  Paul  L.  Vogt. 


122  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


8.  “The  vital  religion  of  a  church  will  grow  with  its  generosity. 
Even  the  weaker  church  should  have  some  share  in  the 
world-wide  work  of  missions  and  should  strive  to  meet  its 
apportionment,  adopting  it  definitely  as  a  part  of  its  regular 
budget.”  2  Discuss  the  pros  and  cons  of  this  opinion. 

3  “The  Church  and  Country  Life,”  edited  by  Dr.  Paul  L.  Vogt. 


Chapter  VII 

ORGANIZING  THE  CHURCH  FOR  THE  PROGRAM 

From  early  Colonial  days  until  recently,  all  Protestant 
churches  in  America,  whatever  their  denomination,  had  in 
respect  to  organization  certain  characteristics  in  common. 
Local  authority  was  vested  in  the  congregation,  which  met 
at  least  annually.  Responsible  to  the  congregation  were  two 
boards,  one  charged  with  authority  in  material  matters,  the 
other  having  to  do  with  spiritual  affairs.  The  members  of 
these  boards  were  known  as  stewards,  trustees,  elders  and 
deacons.  The  two  groups  were  seldom  coordinated.  In 
addition  to  the  pastor,  the  organist,  and  the  janitor,  there 
were  usually  two  other  officers,  a  clerk  or  secretary,  and  a 
treasurer.  Even  this  minimum  organization  was  simplified 
in  some  cases  by  a  single  board  having  both  spiritual  and 
material  tasks  assigned  to  it.  Many  churches  had  two 
subordinate  organizations,  the  Sunday  school  and  the  Ladies’ 
Aid  Society,  over  the  work  of  which  the  official  boards 
seldom  if  ever  exercised  any  supervision.  Terms  of  office 
were  usually  long,  and  officers  often  grew  very  old  and 
conservative  in  service.  Long  ago  the  accepted  duties  of 
both  boards  became  stereotyped. 

But  in  late  years  there  has  been  a  marked  change.  Denom¬ 
inational  overhead  organizations  have  become  far  more  ag¬ 
gressive,  and  have  set  tasks  and  fixed  quotas  for  the  local 
church.  Spurred  by  the  strengthening  hold  of  new  interests 
upon  the  time  and  energy  of  its  members,  the  Church  has 
developed  new  enterprises  and  undertaken  new  tasks  partly 
in  the  way  of  self-preservation.  Moreover,  the  social  gospel 
has  been  widely  preached,  and  has  been  carried  more  and 
more  into  practice.  Finally,  denominational  campaigns  and 
the  example  of  modern  business  have  set  the  Church  new 
standards  of  efficiency. 


123 


124  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


In  the  two  generations  within  which  the  change  has  come, 
church  organization  has  greatly  increased  in  complexity. 
Development  has  been  chiefly  along  three  lines.  The  first 
change  was  in  the  formation  of  additional  societies  to  per¬ 
form  new  functions.  The  missionary  awakening  of  the 
early  Nineteenth  Century,  for  instance,  resulted  in  the 
formation  in  the  local  church  of  women’s  missionary  socie¬ 
ties.  Half  a  century  later  came  the  spread  of  societies  for 
young  people,  and  then  the  extension  of  the  system  of  special 
organizations  to  other  age-  and  sex-groups.  The  usual 
number  of  such  organizations  in  the  churches  studied  is  from 
four  to  seven.  Five  congregations  have  from  nine  to  thirteen. 

A  second  development  was  evidenced  by  the  appointment 
of  committees  to  care  for  each  need  as  it  might  arise.  The 
members  of  the  committees  have  been  selected  from  the 
different  parts  of  the  parish,  so  that  people  of  each  neighbor¬ 
hood  might  be  brought  into  relation  with  every  interest  of 
the  church. 

Later  the  people  of  any  neighborhood  who  served  on  the 
different  committees  were  organized  into  a  local  group 
committee.  This  third  form  of  development,  which  has 
come  to  be  known  as  the  unit  or  group  system,  has  been 
extensively  promoted  by  denominational  agencies. 

The  committee  form  of  organization  is  largely  concerned 
with  the  internal  working  of  the  church.  Two  churches, 
each  with  many  committees,  have  assigned  to  them  the  fol¬ 
lowing  interests  :  ushers,  finance,  estimating  minister’s  sal¬ 
ary,  parsonage  and  furniture,  fuel,  music,  benevolences, 
Sunday  school,  auditing,  church  records,  gymnasium,  etc. 
One  of  these  churches  has  a  total  of  thirty-two  committees 
and  sub-committees.  Each  of  two  small  colored  churches 
has  sixteen  committees,  in  one  or  the  other  of  which  is 
enlisted  a  representative  of  almost  every  family. 

In  the  second  place,  some  of  the  committees  supervise 
such  organizations  as  the  Sunday  school  and  the  young 
people’s  society.  Such  supervision  presents  difficulties, 
unless,  as  in  the  churches  in  question,  the  committees  are 
made  up  of  persons  vitally  interested  in  the  organization 
concerned.  Organizations  and  committees  alike  ought  to  be 


ORGANIZING  THE  CHURCH  FOR  PROGRAM  125 


supervised  by  one  or  the  other  of  the  official  boards.  Finally, 
the  committee  system  is  apt  to  fail  in  presenting  a  compre¬ 
hensive,  carefully  balanced  program. 

Where  the  committee  system  is  carefully  coordinated  with 
the  program  and  is  well  administered,  it  has  real  value. 
Several  churches  that  use  it  successfully  have  avoided  the 
dangers  of  lack  of  balance  and  of  overemphasis  on  local 
needs.  The  Community  Church  of  Imperial,  California, 
has  eight  so-called  departments,  with  a  membership  range 
of  from  four  to  ten.  These  cover  spiritual  resources,  re¬ 
ligious  education,  social  service,  gospel  extension,  publicity, 
finance,  music,  and  stewardship.  The  gospel  extension  de¬ 
partment  is  responsible  for  the  conducting  of  the  Sunday 
schools  and  for  preaching  services  at  five  outlying  points. 
The  chief  task  of  the  department  of  social  service  is  Amer¬ 
icanization  work  among  Mexicans.  The  religious  educa¬ 
tional  department,  in  addition  to  supervising  the  home 
Sunday  school,  conducts  the  annual  School  of  Missions. 
The  department  of  spiritual  resources,  composed  of  the 
pastor  and  the  elders,  has  oversight  of  evangelistic  campaigns 
and  of  all  personal  work.  Three  of  the  chairmen  are  women. 
Every  department  holds  a  business  meeting  once  a  month. 

The  Memorial  Presbyterian  Church  of  Dayton,  Indiana, 
uses  the  same  system  with  virtually  the  same  departments. 
It  has,  however,  a  department  of  every-member  mobilization, 
the  duties  of  which  are  to  assign  to  every  active  member 
some  definite  task,  to  keep  individual  records,  and  to  award 
suitable  recognition  for  services.  The  department  of  gospel 
extension  cooperates  with  all  boards  of  the  denomination 
except  that  of  foreign  missions.  The  department  of  spiritual 
resources  is  responsible  for  increasing  attendance,  for  pro¬ 
moting  family  worship  in  homes  and  for  organizing  and 
directing  bands  of  personal  workers.  This  church  makes  a 
practise  of  assigning  to  the  same  department  men  and  their 
wives. 

The  departmental  system  in  use  in  three  of  the  forty 
churches  differs  from  the  committee  system,  of  which  it  is  a 
recent  outgrowth,  in  not  being  an  accidental  aggregation  of 
separate  teams  but  the  result  of  a  deliberate  endeavor  to 


126  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


make  due  provision  for  all  parts  of  a  well-balanced  program 
devoted  not  only  to  internal  affairs  but  to  the  larger  interests 
of  the  community  and  the  Kingdom. 

The  use  of  committees  or  departments  does  not  neces¬ 
sarily  do  away  with  societies.  The  church  at  Dayton,  for 
instance,  with  eight  departments,  has  also  eight  organiza¬ 
tions.  Moreover  the  districting  of  the  parish  and  the  use 
of  committees  are  often  combined  in  one  system,  as  has 
been  pointed  out ;  and  there  may  be  districting  not  in  com¬ 
bination  with  the  committees,  even  when  the  same  church 
employs  both  systems,  as  is  the  case  both  at  Dayton  and  at 
Imperial.  The  multiplication  of  committees  has  been  accom¬ 
panied  in  some  cases  by  an  increase  in  the  number  of  church 
officers.  For  example,  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  at 
Randolph,  Iowa,  has  not  only  seven  committees,  but  ten 
trustees,  thirty-four  stewards,  and  sixteen  other  officers. 

This  more  complex  organization,  extreme  examples  of 
which  have  been  cited,  makes  it  necessary  for  the  official 
boards  responsible  to  the  congregation  to  be  kept  fully  in¬ 
formed  as  to  all  church  activities;  and  for  the  various 
agencies  to  be  made  to  function  smoothly  in  a  single  well- 
rounded  program. 


THE  PASTOR’S  COUNCIL 

Sometimes  these  ends  are  accomplished  by  the  creation 
of  a  pastor’s  council  or  Cabinet,  composed  perhaps  of  one 
member  from  each  of  the  official  boards,  the  president  or 
secretary  of  each  organization,  and  sometimes,  if  either 
exists,  the  heads  of  departments  or  the  chairman  of  the 
group  leaders. 

This  Cabinet  becomes  the  right  arm  of  the  pastor,  and 
meets  at  least  monthly  or  on  call.  It  has  four  principal 
functions.  Primarily  it  is  concerned  with  coordination.  At 
its  meetings  the  program  of  the  church  as  a  whole  is  dis¬ 
cussed,  as  well  as  the  part  to  be  played  by  each  organization. 
It  clears  up  misunderstandings  between  organizations.  No 
society  may  schedule  any  event  without  consultation  with  the 
Cabinet.  The  representatives  of  the  official  boards,  being  in 


ORGANIZING  THE  CHURCH  FOR  PROGRAM  127 


constant  touch  with  all  developments,  become  interpreters 
to  their  colleagues  of  all  activities.  In  one  case  the  board 
representatives  have  the  power  of  veto  over  all  decisions. 

The  Pastor’s  Council  is  also  the  central  agency  through 
which  in  any  exigency  the  minister  can  get  his  plans  before 
all  the  other  agencies.  In  some  churches,  prior  to  the 
every-member  canvass,  this  Council  holds  a  meeting  at 
which  the  budget  is  explained,  after  which  the  representa¬ 
tives  of  the  other  organizations  explain  it  to  their  con¬ 
stituencies.  A  similar  course  is  followed  at  the  time  of  the 
adoption  of  the  annual  program.  The  recommendation  of 
each  representative  to  his  society  is  conclusive  because  it 
has  behind  it  the  decision  of  the  Cabinet. 

A  third  important  function  of  the  Pastor’s  Council  is  the 
initiation  of  plans.  To  it  may  be  proposed  new  projects 
favored  by  any  board  or  society.  The  ensuing  discussions 
reveal  the  positions  of  all  elements  in  the  church  on  all 
proposals.  Because  it  is  representative  of  so  many  interests, 
the  Council’s  measures  are  generally  well  considered  and 
its  recommendations  favorably  received  by  the  congregation. 

Finally,  the  Pastor’s  Cabinet  makes  it  possible  to  correlate 
the  suggestions  of  the  various  national  or  sectional  overhead 
organizations.  The  advice  upon  work  for  adolescents  given 
to  one  church  by  the  state  officers  of  the  Sunday  School 
Association,  and  that  of  the  Christian  Endeavor  Society, 
contained  more  than  50  per  cent,  of  duplication.  The  sug¬ 
gestions  in  themselves  were  admirable ;  but  just  how  they 
were  to  be  carried  into  effect  by  local  organizations  could  be 
decided  only  when  the  entire  local  situation  was  understood. 

Of  the  forty  churches,  the  one  that  best  combines  several 
methods  into  one  is  perhaps  the  Presbyterian  church  at 
Parma,  Idaho.  This  church  has  eleven  subordinate  organ¬ 
izations  besides  the  Sunday  school.  The  parish,  moreover, 
is  divided  into  nineteen  districts,  within  each  of  which  are 
several  group  leaders,  one  of  them  serving  as  chairman.  The 
duties  of  these  group  leaders  are  to  visit  people  in  the 
district,  especially  newcomers,  upon  whom  they  report  to 
the  pastor ;  to  make  persons  acquainted  with  one  another ; 
to  report  changes  of  residence  and  cases  of  misunderstand- 


128  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


ing  in  church  matters ;  and  to  announce  forthcoming  church 
events.  They  have  also  responsibilities  in  connection  with 
the  semi-annual  surveys  and  with  the  evangelistic  campaign. 
With  the  nineteen  chairmen  the  pastor  holds  periodic  con¬ 
sultations.  An  Executive  Council  includes  the  chairman  of 
the  group  leaders,  the  pastor  as  representative  of  the  Session, 
and  the  head  of  each  organization,  as  well  as  extra  repre¬ 
sentatives  from  important  divisions  of  the  Sunday  school. 

The  overhead  advisory  body  of  some  churches  is  so  large 
as  to  be  cumbrous  and  to  constitute  sometimes  a  clique 
within  the  church.  Occasionally,  too,  the  presence  of  three 
or  four  groups  of  teams,  organized  in  accordance  with 
different  systems,  causes  too  great  a  complication  of 
machinery.  The  three  systems  are  most  effectively  combined 
when  the  societies  perform  the  greater  part  of  the  work 
under  the  general  supervision  of  departments  or  commit¬ 
tees,  and  when  the  units  of  the  parish  are  used  almost 
exclusively  for  evangelistic  effort  and  volunteer  parish 
visiting. 

As  has  already  been  implied,  these  churches  have  definite 
programs.  In  half  of  them  the  first  step  toward  the  building 
of  a  program  has  been  a  survey. 

THE  SURVEYS 

These  churches  recognize  the  dependence  of  their  work 
on  thorough  knowledge.  Many  of  them  have  conducted 
community  surveys,  and  three  undertake  to  keep  their  in¬ 
formation  up  to  date  by  restudying  the  community  either 
every  year  or  every  six  months.  The  surveys  have  varied 
from  a  simple  house-to-house  religious  census  to  a  careful 
analysis  of  the  church  and  the  community  in  relation  to  each 
other.  The  studies  have  sometimes  been  conducted  under 
the  leadership  of  the  minister,  by  either  the  Sunday  school 
teachers,  the  group  leaders,  or  the  young  people.1  In  all  the 
most  ambitious  undertakings  the  minister  himself  has  joined 
actively  in  survey  work. 

1  One  definite  illustration  of  the  work  of  men’s  Bible  classes  in 
such  surveys  is  noted  on  p.  79. 


ORGANIZING  THE  CHURCH  FOR  PROGRAM  129 


Parish  Map 

After  the  survey  has  been  made  a  map  of  the  parish  is 
drawn.  It  is  useful  to  include  in  the  map  every  home  in  the 
area,  and  to  indicate  the  church  affiliations  of  the  residents. 
There  are  many  simple  devices  for  this  based  chiefly  on  the 
use  of  different  colors  for  different  denominations.  One  of 
the  best  is  the  parish  chart  of  M.  C.  Bishop,  which  can  be 
obtained  by  writing  to  Mr.  Bishop  at  LaCrosse,  Indiana. 

Records 

A  valuable  adjunct  to  the  church  survey  map  is  a  card 
index  of  the  membership  and  constituency.  The  cards  re¬ 
quired  may  be  obtained  from  denominational  or  undenom¬ 
inational  publishing  houses,  or  they  can  be  ruled  by  the 
minister  himself  and  placed  in  a  home-made  box-file.  On  a 
simple  3x5  card  there  is  plenty  of  space  for  the  family 
address,  the  names  and  birthdays  of  all  members  of  the 
household,  their  membership  in  the  church  and  its  organ¬ 
izations,  the  church  offices  they  may  have  held,  and  the 
status  of  each  as  to  marriage,  dismissal,  and  the  like.  On 
the  back  of  the  card  can  be  kept  a  record  of  pastoral  calls. 
A  church  having  sole  responsibility  for  an  entire  community 
should  have  a  card  for  every  household. 

In  several  communities  with  more  than  one  church,  the 
survey  and  mapping  of  the  parish  were  undertaken 
cooperatively. 

PROGRAM 

When  the  results  of  the  survey  have  been  tabulated  and 
interpreted  and  the  parish  has  been  mapped,  the  whole 
matter  is  considered  by  the  official  boards  of  the  church  and, 
where  such  a  thing  exists,  by  the  Pastor’s  Cabinet.  Those 
in  charge  then  construct,  in  the  light  of  the  survey  findings, 
one  of  the  most  important  things  in  the  work  of  the  church 
— its  program.  Where  there  is  a  Cabinet,  that  body  dis¬ 
cusses  the  part  to  be  taken  by  every  church  agency  in  carry¬ 
ing  out  the  program.  In  some  cases,  where  there  is  no 


130  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


Cabinet,  each  organization  makes  its  own  program,  and 
these  are  assembled  into  a  unit  which  is  presented  by  the 
minister  to  the  congregation  at  its  annual  business  meeting. 

How  a  survey  may  result  in  a  program  enlisting  all 
church  agencies  is  well  illustrated  by  the  example  of  the 
Community  Church  of  Imperial,  California.  The  survey 
disclosed  within  the  trade  and  school  community  a  large 
unevangelized  area  containing  2,100  people  with  virtually 
no  religious  affiliations.  At  a  so-called  “Set-Up  Meeting” 
preceded  by  a  dinner,  the  findings  of  this  survey  were  pre¬ 
sented  by  the  pastor  to  the  whole  congregation ;  and  to  meet 
the  needs  revealed  a  broad  program  of  church  activities,  to 
be  divided  among  eight  departments,  was  outlined  and 
enthusiastically  adopted.  Thereupon  a  “Covenant  of  Wor¬ 
ship  and  Service”  was  distributed,  thus  giving  every  one  an 
immediate  opportunity  to  volunteer  for  some  phase  of  the 
new  work.  For  the  gospel  extension  activities  alone  the 
number  of  volunteers  was  fifty.  This  survey  and  the  meet¬ 
ing  following  it  have  become  annual  institutions. 

Many  of  the  churches  have  constructed  their  programs,  at 
least  as  far  as  the  more  important  undertakings  are  con¬ 
cerned,  for  more  than  one  year.  Whether  for  a  year  or  for 
a  longer  period,  the  program  keeps  a  goal  before  the  church 
whose  progress  then  may  be  definitely  marked.  When  it 
has  adopted  a  clear-cut  program  to  which  every  individual 
and  organization  in  the  church  is  geared,  it  knows  where  it 
is  going  and  it  is  on  the  way. 

Typical  of  these  programs  are  the  two  that  follow.  One 
of  them,  at  Collbran,  Colorado,  is  in  two  sections.  The  first 
of  these  deals  with  the  year  directly  ahead,  and  the  second 
with  objectives  for  a  period  of  four  years.  The  former  ex¬ 
emplifies  the  departmental  type  of  organization,  showing 
the  parts  taken  by  the  various  groups  and  societies.  The  two 
programs  together  suggest  that  the  year  of  a  successful 
church  has  pretty  constant  features.  It  includes  a  Rally 
Day — sometimes  two — a  financial  campaign,  an  evangelistic 
campaign,  and  the  celebration  of  the  great  festivals  of  the 
Church  and  of  the  nation. 


ORGANIZING  THE  CHURCH  FOR  PROGRAM  131 

UNIFIED  CHURCH  PROGRAM  FOR  1922-23 

Church  Motto  for  all  departments :  “Seek  ye  first  His  King¬ 
dom  and  His  Righteousness ;  and  all  these  things  shall  be  added 
unto  you/’  Matt,  vi,  33. 

I.  Program  for  Department  of  Social  Service : 

1.  Promote  young  people’s  organizations 
Boy  Scouts 

Camp  Fire  Girls 

Christian  Endeavor,  Junior  and  Intermediate 

Societies 

Sunday  school. 

2.  Sustain  Community  House  Activities 
Library 

Game  Room 
Men’s  Club 
Ladies’  Work. 

3.  Provide  Entertainment 
Weekly  moving  pictures 
Home  talent  plays 
Debates 

Forum. 

4.  Develop  Extension  Activities 

Movies  in  outlying  schoolhouses  and  churches 

C.  E.  meetings  in  outlying  schoolhouses  and  churches 

Children’s  Hours  in  outlying  districts. 

II.  Program  for  Department  of  Religious  Education: 

1.  Emphasize  responsibility  of  religious  education  com¬ 
mittee 

2.  Through  preaching,  teach  all  truth  regarding  the  Ideal 
Commonwealth  of  the  Kingdom  of  God 

3.  In  the  church  school  organize  teacher  training  school 

4.  Hold  Summer  School  of  Religious  Instruction:  Collbran 
Plan 

5.  Encourage  reading  of  library  books  on  the  Kingdom  of 
God 

6.  In  C.  E.  and  all  other  organizations  further  study  of 
the  Kingdom 

7.  Stress  to  limit  religious  education  through  the  local 
press. 

III.  Program  for  the  Department  of  Missions : 

1.  Have  study  group  on  “Modern  Conquests  of  the  King¬ 
dom” 


132  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 

2.  Have  every  society  give  to  missions 

3.  Have  the  church  meet  its  benevolence  quota  in  full 

4.  Have  the  church  select  a  particular  mission  field  as  its 
own  and  the  American  Board  assign  a  missionary  repre¬ 
sentative  as  ours 

5.  Instruct  in  work  of  Fred  White,  worker  supported  by 
this  church,  in  Florence,  Alabama 

6.  Provide  books  and  literature  on  missions 

7.  Cultivate  the  missionary  committee. 

IV.  Program  for  Department  of  “Worship  and  Fellowship”: 

1.  Develop  reverence  in  worship  through  Children’s  Church, 
in  C.  E.,  in  adult  worship 

2.  Stress  the  “Practice  of  Life  in  the  Kingdom,”  learning 
to  live  together  in  a  relationship  which  continues  fox*ever 

3.  Emphasize  worship  through  music 

4.  Stress  Bible  study  and  prayer 

5.  Cultivate  fellowship  through  socials  and  emphasize  on 
goodwill. 

V.  Program  for  Department  of  Evangelism: 

1.  Special  drive  until  Easter  for  commitments  to  the  Chris¬ 
tian  life 

2.  Maintain  evangelistic  effort  through  religious  education, 
through  personal  work,  through  literature,  through  mass 
evangelism,  and  pulpit  utterance 

3.  Seek  to  avoid  leakage  in  adolescent  age. 

VI.  Program  for  Department  of  Business: 

1.  Advance  work  on  church  manual;  prepare  constitution 
in  19 22 

2.  Organize  church ;  elect  deaconate,  board  of  trustees 

3.  Adopt  (a)  duplex  envelope  system,  (b)  weekly  payments 
to  church  and  for  benevolences 

4.  Work  for  beautifying  of  church  grounds,  and  improve¬ 
ments  such  as  a  cement  walk  in  front  of  the  church. 

THE  FOUR-YEAR  PROGRAM 

1922- 23  Religious  Education  stressed :  “Kingdom  of  God”  cen¬ 

tral  idea. 

1923- 24  Social  Service  stressed:  Survey  made  and  program 

made  according  to  needs  revealed. 

1924- 25  World  Christianity  stressed:  Review  of  world  situa¬ 

tion  made,  study  of  societies  for  world  work,  etc. 


ORGANIZING  THE  CHURCH  FOR  PROGRAM  1  S3 


1925-26  Spiritual  Quickening  stressed:  Emphasis  on  personal 
religion  and  evangelism  through  religious  education, 
personal  evangelism  and  mass  evangelism. 

At  Silver  Anniversary  present  souvenir  pamphlet  containing 
history  of  church,  its  organization,  its  membership,  its  constitu¬ 
tion  (in  brief,  a  complete  manual). 

The  second  program,  that  of  the  Methodist  church  of 
Randolph,  Iowa,  presents  the  events  of  the  ensuing  year, 
grouped  according  to  the  organization  in  charge.  This 
arrangement  conduces  to  the  proportionate  sharing  of  labor, 
and  to  the  sense  of  responsibility.  Certain  other  churches 
publish  their  programs  in  order  of  dates,  an  arrangement 
that  is  perhaps  more  convenient  for  reference. 


CHURCH  CALENDAR 


1922 

Ladies’  Aid  Society: 

Feb.  1,  Wed.  Father-Son-Big-Brother  Banquet. 
Apr.  15,  Sat.  Easter  Sale  and  Banquet. 

May  13,  Sat.  Annual  Banquet,  Epworth  League. 
Aug.  23,  Wed.  Membership  Rally. 

Sept.  6,  Wed.  Reception  for  Sunset  Club. 

Oct.  15,  Sun.  Harvest  Home  Dinner. 

Oct.  20,  Fri.  Reception  for  Official  Board. 

Nov.  4,  Sat.  Colonial  Supper. 

Dec.  6,  Sat.  Annual  Supper  and  Bazaar. 

Dec.  27,  Wed.  Annual  Social  Meeting. 


Sunday  School : 
Apr.  16,  Sun. 
June  11,  Sun. 
Aug.  1,  Tues. 
Sept.  12,  Tues. 
Sept.  24,  Sun. 
Oct.  22,  Sun. 
Dec.  24,  Sun. 


Easter  Program. 
Children’s  Day. 
Sunday  School  Picnic. 
Annual  Meeting. 
Promotion  Sunday. 
Rally  Day. 

Christmas  Program. 


Children’s  Socials: 
Feb.  11,  Sat. 
Mar.  18,  Sat. 
May  6,  Sat. 
Aug.  26,  Sat. 
Oct.  28,  Sat. 


Valentine  Social. 

St.  Patrick’s  Social. 
May  Day  Festival. 
Lawn  Party. 
Hallowe’en  Social. 


134  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


Union  Meetings : 
May  21,  Sun. 
May  28,  Sun. 
Nov.  30,  Thur. 


Baccalaureate  Services. 
Memorial  Sunday. 
Thanksgiving  Services. 


Women’s  Home  Missionary  Society: 


Jan.  27,  Fri. 
Mar.  2,  Thur. 
June  5,  Mon. 
June  15,  Thur. 
Sept.  7,  Thur. 
Oct.  5,  Thur. 


Annual  Program,  Queen  Esthers. 
Mite  Box  Opening. 

Annual  Meeting,  Queen  Esthers. 
Mother-Daughter  Meeting. 
Annual  Meeting. 

Reception  for  Families. 


Epworth  League : 
Jan.  12,  Thur. 
Feb.  9,  Thur. 
Feb.  13,  Mon. 
Mar.  17,  Fri. 
Apr.  1,  Sat. 
Apr.  16,  .Sun. 
May  13,  Sat. 
May  14,  Sun. 
June  19,  Sun. 
June  23,  Fri. 
July  4,  Tues. 
Sept.  1,  Fri. 
Sept.  10,  Sun. 
Oct.  31,  Tues. 
Dec.  24,  Sun. 
Dec.  29,  Fri. 

Church : 

Feb.  1,  Wed. 
Feb.  16,  Thur. 
Apr.  16,  Sun. 
May  14,  Sun. 
June  14,  Wed. 
June  25,  Sun. 
July  2,  Sun. 
Aug.  22,  Tues. 
Oct.  15,  Sun. 
Oct.  20,  Fri. 
Nov.  3,  Fri. 
Dec.  31,  Sun. 


Baseball  Tournament. 

Baseball  Tournament. 

Valentine  Social. 

St.  Patrick’s  Social. 

All  Fools’  Day. 

Easter  Morning  Watch  Service. 
Annual  Banquet. 

Anniversary  Service. 

College  Night  Services. 

Ice  Cream  Social. 

Fourth  of  July  Picnic. 

Fall  Reception. 

Rally  Day. 

Hallowe’en  Social. 

Christmas  Program. 
Home-Coming  Rally. 


Father-Son-Big-Brother  Banquet. 
Men’s  Reception  for  Ladies. 
Easter. 

Mothers’  Day. 

Flag  Day. 

Automobile  Sunday. 

American  Sunday. 

Every  Member-Friend  Canvass. 
Harvest  Home  Services. 

Reception  for  Official  Board. 
Baseball  Tournament. 

Watch  Night  Services. 


ORGANIZING  THE  CHURCH  FOR  PROGRAM  185 

STAFF 

Programs  such  as  these  are  ambitious  indeed.  To  assist  in 
carrying  out  such  programs  about  one-third  of  the  forty 
churches  employ  besides  the  minister,  an  organist,  a  janitor 
and  other  paid  workers.  The  churches  at  Buckhorn,  Ken¬ 
tucky,  and  Sacaton,  Arizona,  are  mission  churches  existing 
under  exceptional  conditions.  Buckhorn’s  church  plant  in¬ 
cludes  a  school,  a  hospital,  an  orphanage  and  a  sawmill,  so 
that  the  staff  is  large.  For  its  work  among  the  Indians 
of  a  large  territory,  the  church  at  Sacaton  has  ten  workers. 
The  other  eleven  churches  that  have  staffs  vary  in  their 
procedure.  Several  have  ordained  assistants  who  serve  as 
extension  workers  or  care  for  outlying  churches  of  a  circuit 
while  the  pastor  in  charge  devotes  his  attention  to  the  church 
at  the  center  and  to  executive  duties.  A  number  of  the 
churches  also  employ  women  as  deaconesses,  parish  vis¬ 
itors,  or  directors  of  religious  education  and  of  young 
people’s  activities.  In  two  instances  the  staff  is  enlarged 
in  summer  when  the  roads  are  good  and  the  more  isolated 
neighborhoods  are  accessible.  Some  churches  have  physical 
directors  or  directors  of  recreation.  The  total  number  of 
staff  workers  exclusive  of  those  at  Buckhorn  and  Sacaton  is 
twenty-three.  Half  of  the  churches  that  have  staffs  are  without 
competition  from  any  other  recognized  Protestant  church.2 

The  average  country  church  never  dreams  of  engaging  the 
time  of  any  one  except  the  minister.  These  successful 
churches,  however,  have  taken  on  staffs  made  necessary  by 
their  work  without  financial  difficulty,  because  their  tasks 
are  such  as  to  meet  general  approval.  In  the  light  of  their 
experience,  it  is  impossible  to  resist  calling  attention  to  the 
fact  that  many  small  communities  now  receiving  only  the 
part-time  services  of  a  number  of  men,  might  revolutionize 
their  religious  and  social  life  if  they  were  to  unite  in  one 
church  and  obtain  high-grade  professional  leadership.  At 
Collbran,  Colorado,  the  Congregational  church  had  for  years 
barely  managed  to  live.  The  larger  program  inaugurated  in 

2  These  figures  on  staff  do  not  include  workers  supported  on  the 
foreign  field. 


136  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


1920  has  more  than  justified  support  of  a  staff.  Nor  is  this 
case  exceptional  among  these  churches.  One  of  the  greatest 
achievements  of  the  churches  with  staffs  is  perhaps  their 
winning  of  the  church  members  so  completely  as  to  be  able 
to  utilize  their  loyalty  and  service  in  further  expansion  of 
the  work. 

Valuable  as  these  staff  workers  have  proved,  two-thirds  of 
the  churches  have  achieved  their  success  through  the  unaided 
efforts  of  pastor  and  members.  They  have  shown  skill  in 
selecting  and  training  volunteer  leaders  and  workers.  At 
Imperial,  California,  two  former  ministers,  one  of  them 
from  another  community,  have  been  persuaded  to  devote 
nearly  all  their  leisure  to  the  work  of  the  church.  In  other 
places,  other  persons  contribute,  in  volunteer  labor,  three 
working  days  each  week.  The  work,  moreover,  has  been  so 
organized  as  to  give  maximum  results  for  the  time  expended. 

These  churches  have  not  yet  evolved  the  ideal  organiza¬ 
tion  for  the  town  and  country  church.  Their  numerous 
promising  experiments  indicate,  however,  that  they  are 
making  progress.  Already  we  can  see  several  healthy  tend¬ 
encies  at  work.  Some  of  the  churches,  especially  those 
with  departments,  conceive  the  ideal  system  to  be  one  in 
which  the  agencies  all  function  as  structural  parts  of  the 
whole.  Almost  all  try  to  enlist  all  their  members  in  church 
work  and  to  find  for  each  a  suitable  specialized  task.  More¬ 
over,  the  boards,  the  societies,  the  units  or  groups,  and  the 
committees  or  departments  are  not  operating  in  the  proud 
independence  and  isolation  of  two  generations  ago ;  on  the 
contrary,  efforts  are  being  made  in  some  cases  to  coordinate 
them,  and  to  provide  a  representative  cabinet  as  a  unifying 
overhead  body. 


SUMMARY 

Types  of  local  church  organizations  are  varied  and  changing. 
Among  agencies  that  seem  to  be  essential  to  the  smooth  function¬ 
ing  of  the  church  as  a  whole  are  these : 

Two  official  boards,  one  responsible  for  spiritual  affairs,  the 
other  for  material  matters,  but  holding  joint  sessions  at  infre¬ 
quent  intervals. 


ORGANIZING  THE  CHURCH  FOR  PROGRAM  137 


A  clearly  defined  field  of  service  for  each  organization  in  the 
church. 

Committees  or  departments  to  meet  certain  major  needs  un¬ 
cared  for  by  existing  organizations. 

A  pastor’s  Cabinet  or  Council,  on  which  serves  one  member 
from  each  official  board  and  from  each  organization  or  major 
committee  in  the  church,  and  which  shall  correlate  all  work, 
initiate  plans  and  keep  each  organization  informed  as  to  the 
general  policy  and  program. 

Local  leaders  or  groups  in  each  neighborhood  or  block  to  care 
for  immediate  needs  on  behalf  of  the  church,  to  welcome  new¬ 
comers  and  to  do  personal  work. 

A  thorough  survey  of  the  parish  and  community. 

A  parish  map  locating  every  home. 

A  definite  program,  setting  goals  for  each  year’s  work, 
adopted  annually  by  the  officers  and  congregation. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Modern  Church  Management :  A  Study  in  Efficiency — Albert  F. 

McGarrah.  Revell,  1917.  215  pp.  $1.25. 

Scientific  Management  in  the  Churches — Shailer  Mathews. 

University  of  Chicago  Press,  1912.  66  pp.  $.50. 

A  Modern  Church  Program:  A  Study  in  Efficiency — Albert  F. 
McGarrah.  Revell.  $.50. 

The  Study  of  a  Rural  Parish — Ralph  A.  Felton.  Missionary 
Education  Movement,  New  York,  1914.  $.50.  Contains 

blanks  for  99  homes  and  38  pages  of  suggestions  as  to  pro¬ 
cedure  and  program. 

Pastor's  Manual  of  Survey  and  Program — William  L.  Bailey 
and  Clare  John  Hewitt.  Abingdon  Press,  New  York,  1922. 
$5.00.  Written  from  a  Methodist  point  of  view,  but  the  most 
thoroughgoing  manual  of  its  kind  and  adaptable  for  any 
denomination. 


TOPICS  FOR  DISCUSSION 

1.  a.  “Christianity  is  essentially  unorganized.  When  we  or¬ 
ganize  it  we  destroy  its  chief  charm.  Organization  .  .  . 
should  be  shunned  by  the  Church.” 1 

b.  “The  more  perfectly  organized  and  managed  is  .  .  .  the 


1Babson,  R.  W.,  “The  Future  of  the  Churches,”  p.  103. 


138  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


‘church-temple/  the  larger  are  the  results  which  the  in¬ 
dwelling  Spirit  can  produce/’ 2 

Defend  one  of  the  opposed  positions  set  forth  in  (a)  and 

(b). 

2.  Beneath  all  differences  in  application,  point  out  certain 
large  tendencies  pretty  general  in  the  organization  of  the 
forty  successful  churches. 

3.  “Theoretically  the  church  should  be  regarded  as  a  body  of 
workmen  ready  to  perform  definite  tasks  as  these  tasks  are 
outlined  for  them  by  its  committee  of  management.”  3 
Does  the  organization  of  the  forty  churches  endeavor  to  put 
into  practise  the  theory  here  set  forth?  If  so,  how? 

4.  Describe  the  organization  of  your  own  church.  Is  it  such 
as  to  insure — 

(1)  Service  to  the  whole  parish? 

(2)  Adequate  and  progressive  performance  of  all 
church  functions? 

(3)  Enlistment  for  service  of  every  church  member? 

(4)  Avoidance  of  duplication  in  work  of  subordinate 
organizations  ? 

(5)  Conflict  of  dates? 

In  what  respects,  when  compared  with  the  organization  of 
the  forty  churches  studied,  is  it  capable  of  improvement  ? 

5.  Where  a  parish  is  divided  into  geographical  groups  or  units 
with  a  leader  for  each,  what  offices  within  the  districts  may 
be  given  to  boys  and  girls  ? 

6.  Among  the  handicaps  of  rural  churches,  President  Butter¬ 
field  includes  the  “boss  system.” 4  What  does  he  mean  ? 
How  may  its  organization  insure  a  church  against  this 
danger  ? 

7.  What  parts  of  the  work  of  your  church  might  well  be  under 
the  supervision  of  departments?  How  many  members 
would  you  appoint  to  each? 

8.  In  your  church,  is  there  any  waste  effort  as  a  result  of  the 
same  thing  being  done  by  two  agencies  ?  E.  g.,  does  the 
Boy  Scout  Troop  parallel  an  organized  Sunday  school  class, 
or  the  Young  Ladies’  Society  duplicate  the  work  of  the 
Ladies’  Aid?  How  may  such  duplication  be  avoided? 

aMcGarrah,  A.  W.,  “Modern  Church  Management,”  p.  21. 

8  Mathews,  Shailer,  “Scientific  Management  in  the  Churches,” 

p.  36. 

4  Butterfield,  K.  L.,  “The  Country  Church  and  the  Rural  Problem,” 

P-  73- 


ORGANIZING  THE  CHURCH  FOR  PROGRAM  139 


In  what  circumstances  is  a  four-  or  five-year  program  more 
effective  than  a  program  for  one  year  ?  What  is  the  danger 
in  a  cumulative  series  of  objectives? 

Prepare  for  your  church  a  program  for  next  year,  following 
the  arrangement  used  in  either  of  the  two  programs  given 
in  this  chapter. 


Chapter  VIII 

PUBLICITY 

From  the  dim  past  down  to  less  than  a  century  ago,  organ¬ 
ized  religion  obtained  all  the  publicity  it  required  through 
the  peal  of  a  bell.  Now  that  life  has  become  so  complex,  so 
crowded  with  distractions  and  duties,  the  church  must  com¬ 
pete  for  attention  with  many  other  interests.  In  this  com¬ 
petition  it  has  three  objectives :  to  inform  its  own  members 
and  keep  them  interested  in  its  life  and  work;  to  reach  and 
capture  persons  not  yet  interested ;  and  to  permeate  with  its 
uplifting  influences  community  life  and  standards. 

To  attain  these  three  ends  amidst  the  turmoil  of  the  new 
day,  it  must  have  a  definite  and  efficacious  publicity  pro¬ 
gram.  Every  one  of  the  successful  churches  here  studied 
has  known  this. 


SLOGANS  AND  MOTTOES 

Among  simple  devices,  one  of  the  most  effective  is  a  name 
or  slogan.  A  certain  open  country  church  has  assumed  the 
role  of  “The  Church  of  Community  Interest.”  The  Meth¬ 
odist  church  at  Bingham  Canyon,  Utah,  among  the  squalid 
surroundings  of  a  rural  industrial  copper  camp,  dares  to  be 
known  as  “The  Home  of  Happiness.”  Another  congrega¬ 
tion  advertises  itself  as  belonging  to  “a  church  with  a  pur¬ 
pose,”  the  purpose  being  further  emphasized  by  a  seal  which 
appears  upon  all  printed  matter  issued  by  the  church.  “The 
Church  on  the  Heights”  has  traded  on  its  geographical 
location  to  suggest  loftiness  of  spirit.  Whatever  the  name 
or  slogan  adopted,  these  successful  churches  use  it  on  every 
occasion.  No  printed  matter,  no  newspaper  article,  appears 
without  it.  It  becomes  a  synonym  for  the  church,  an  em¬ 
bodiment  of  the  idea  for  which  the  church  stands. 


140 


PUBLICITY 


141 


BULLETIN  BOARDS 

The  next  experiment  in  publicity  after  that  with  the 
church  bell,  was  in  the  use  of  the  formal  board  outside  the 
church  announcing  the  church’s  name  and  the  hours  of  its 
services.  A  modern  equivalent  extensively  used  by  the 
churches  is  the  bulletin  board.  These  boards  are  of  all  sizes 
up  to  seven  feet  square.  Some  of  them  are  of  the  com¬ 
mercial  variety  provided  with  removable  letters.  Others  are 
made  by  some  local  carpenter.  Of  the  latter  type  some  are 
designed  to  have  printed  or  typewritten  announcements 
nailed  to  them;  and  some  are  constructed  of  blackboard 
material,  so  that  notices  may  be  written  on  them  with  chalk. 

Many  churches  use  more  than  one  board.  Several  have 
as  many  as  five,  to  provide  for  each  of  the  neighborhoods 
from  which  the  church  draws  or  for  strategic  locations  in  the 
town.  In  certain  cases,  where  the  church  is  the  only  one 
in  its  community,  a  bulletin  board  is  placed  either  within  or 
immediately  outside  the  post  office,  so  that  people  may  read 
the  church  notices  while  waiting  for  the  mail  to  be  dis¬ 
tributed.  In  another  instance  messages  from  the  church  and 
announcements  of  its  services  appear  day  after  day  in  the 
window  of  the  village  bank.  A  number  of  grocers  extend 
to  their  pastors  bulletin  board  space  in  one  of  the  best 
locations  for  rural  publicity,  namely,  the  grocery  store.  One 
church  places  a  bulletin  outside  the  local  creamery.  To  make 
announcements  from  the  pulpit  unnecessary,  a  bulletin  board 
is  sometimes  used  in  the  church  itself.  The  advertising  value 
of  this  plan  needs,  however,  careful  consideration.  It  is  not 
certain  that  it  is  as  effective  as  are  announcements  from  the 
pulpit,  or  as  are  notices  in  the  parish  paper  or  church 
calendar. 

Outdoor  bulletin  boards  illumined  by  electric  light  have 
been  found  very  effective.  Such  illumined  boards  invariably 
attract  the  attention  of  the  passer-by  who  expects  a  church 
to  be  dark.  By  this  method,  at  a  daily  cost  of  a  few  cents, 
a  church  can  advertise  twenty-four  hours  a  day,  and  through 
the  use  of  suggestive  sentences  can  preach  seven  days  a 
week. 


142  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


The  mere  ownership  of  a  bulletin  board  does  not  in  itself 
produce  results.  Since  effective  publicity  must  attract  and 
hold  the  interest,  announcements  must  be  skillfully  drafted 
and  frequently  changed.  For  certain  fortunate  churches 
members  with  a  talent  for  drawing  produce  clever  posters 
that  he  who  runs  cannot  help  but  read. 

Freshness  and  interest,  however,  are  not  associated  solely 
with  posters  and  striking  illustrations.  Some  of  the  churches 
studied  have  found  considerable  value  in  simple  crayon 
announcements  or,  for  interior  bulletin  boards,  typewritten 
statements.  All  agree,  however,  that  no  notice  should  remain 
longer  than  a  week,  and  that  all  announcements  should  be 
so  worded  as  to  contain  nothing  either  stereotyped  or 
ambiguous. 

Beside  the  new  cement  automobile  highway  half  a  mile  in 
either  direction  from  Post  Falls,  Idaho,  billboards  bear  this 
sign  in  large  letters :  “On  Sunday  park  your  cars  at  the 
Post  Falls  Community  Church  and  worship  with  us.” 

THE  PRESS 

In  town  and  country  districts  the  most  effective  and  popu¬ 
lar  medium  of  church  advertisement  is  perhaps  the  news¬ 
paper.  Through  it  the  church  reaches  with  the  least  possible 
expenditure  of  time  and  energy  the  largest  possible  con¬ 
stituency.  The  country  newspaper,  featuring  as  it  does  local 
rather  than  national  and  foreign  news,  must  consider  all 
the  social  and  religious  activities  of  the  church.  These 
successful  churches  make  full  use  of  the  newspapers.  The 
editors  welcome  live  items  of  church  news.  They  are  also 
ready  to  publish  the  programs  of  church  services  for  the 
week,  the  month,  and  occasionally  the  year.  Announcements 
for  the  longer  periods  are  clipped  for  reference  by  church 
members ;  sometimes  the  church  obtains  reprints  for 
distribution. 

The  task  of  reporting  church  news  is  often  assigned  to  a 
particular  person,  who  on  occasion  may  also  contribute  spe¬ 
cial  articles  dealing  with  church  happenings.  Everything 
from  the  topic  of  the  pastor’s  sermon  and  the  church  music 


PUBLICITY 


143 


to  a  hike  by  the  Boy  Scouts  and  a  thrilling  account  of  a 
basket  ball  victory,  is  timely  and  acceptable.  Since,  however, 
articles  are  not  propaganda  but  news,  personalities  are  not 
emphasized ;  the  church  and  its  work  are  made  the  central 
theme.  Annual  reports  of  the  church  and  its  organizations 
are  succinctly  summarized.  Some  of  the  papers  publish 
notable  sermons  by  the  local  ministers  or  by  visiting  clergy¬ 
men,  particularly  when  there  has  been  a  special  service. 
Occasions  such  as  anniversaries,  annual  meetings,  Children’s 
Day  or  Christmas  are  valuable  from  the  point  of  view  of 
publicity,  for  they  give  an  opportunity  to  explain  the  ideals 
and  history  of  the  church  or  the  meaning  of  the  celebration. 
The  challenge  of  the  church  and  its  appeal  can  be  dwelt  on 
also  in  connection  with  announcements  and  reports  of 
evangelism.  This  kind  of  matter  is  particularly  important 
in  reaching  outsiders ;  and  it  can  be  made  a  large  factor  in 
bringing  about  favorable  decisions  by  persons  almost  per¬ 
suaded  to  unite  with  the  church. 

Nearly  half  the  forty  churches,  including  most  of  those 
in  larger  villages  and  towns,  use  to  great  advantage  paid 
advertising  space.  The  editor  is  often  willing  to  give  pre¬ 
ferred  location  to  a  church  that  has  self-respect  enough  to 
pay  its  own  way  when  it  desires  to  advertise.  Rates  vary 
greatly ;  but  churches  spending  more  than  $100  annually  on 
publicity  may  well  apply  from  one-fifth  to  one-quarter  of 
the  sum  to  the  purchase  of  paid-for  space. 

In  the  communities  in  which  the  successful  churches  here 
studied  are  found,  the  relations  between  the  ministers  and 
the  editors  are  most  cordial.  The  local  papers  welcome  news 
or  editorial  contributions  from  the  pastor  and  in  some  in¬ 
stances  from  the  lay  leaders  of  the  church.  At  Rolla, 
Missouri,  a  Methodist  church  conducts  in  the  local  news¬ 
paper  a  regular  column  headed  “Methodist  Magnets.”  The 
Congregational  pastor  of  Collbran,  Colorado,  edits  regularly 
a  similar  column  in  the  only  paper  published  in  the  entire 
Plateau  Valley.  The  Presbyterian  church  at  Novato,  Cali¬ 
fornia,  goes  further  than  any  of  the  others  in  that  it  is  part- 
owner  of  the  local  newspaper,  while  the  minister  shares  the 
editorial  chair.  At  another  place  the  pastor  has  successfully 


144  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


acted  as  substitute  for  the  local  editor  during  the  latter’s 
vacation. 


public  "movie” 

Second  only  to  the  public  press,  as  a  useful  and  com¬ 
paratively  inexpensive  medium  of  advertising,  is  the  com¬ 
mercial  moving-picture  house.  For  several  of  the  churches 
that  have  kept  on  friendly  terms  with  these  powerful  modern 
institutions,  the  proprietors  willingly  advertise  church  serv¬ 
ices  on  the  screen  before  shows  and  between  reels.  If  such 
advertisements  are  carefully  prepared  they  can  be  tremen¬ 
dously  effective,  especially  as  a  means  of  reaching  those  who 
are  not  church  members.  With  a  little  instruction  from  the 
proprietor,  almost  any  one  can  prepare  the  necessary  slides 
easily  and  cheaply. 


THE  CHURCH  PRINT 

A  rural  church  seldom  owns  a  printing  press,  and  one 
whose  pastor  is  a  master  printer  is  extremely  rare;  but  a 
press  that  is  an  adjunct  not  only  to  the  church  but  to  the 
whole  community  is  the  rarest  find  of  all.  Dayton,  Indiana, 
has  such  a  printing  press  and  such  a  pastor.  The  Memorial 
Presbyterian  Church  of  that  village  houses  its  press  in  the 
Dayton  high  school,  where  the  pastor  conducts  a  manual 
training  course  for  which  school  credit  is  given.  Upon 
this  press,  moreover,  are  printed  the  high  school  paper,  which 
is  the  only  community  organ,  and  the  constant  stream  of 
postcards,  letters,  leaflets,  programs,  bulletins  and  posters 
sent  by  the  church  to  its  members  and  to  the  community  at 
large.  Two  other  churches  own  small  hand-presses,  on  which 
are  printed  attractive,  well-edited  bulletins. 

In  all,  half  of  the  churches  have  parish  papers  of  one 
kind  or  another.  A  few  of  these  papers  are  issued  weekly, 
usually  as  bulletins  distributed  at  church  services ;  some  are 
produced  fortnightly;  and  a  few  monthly  or  quarterly.  Such 
a  publication  provides  one  of  the  most  effective  means  of 
church  publicity.  It  may  carry  all  the  announcements  of 


PUBLICITY 


145 


church  activities,  and  serve  as  a  reminder  to  congregation 
and  to  friends  that  the  church  is  at  work  and  ready  to  serve. 

These  papers,  with  their  comments  on  parish  events, 
appeal  to  the  general  interest  in  events  in  which  one  has 
shared  or  in  which  one’s  acquaintances  have  figured.  They 
also  furnish  a  continuous  record  of  the  work  of  the  church. 
The  columns  of  the  parish  journal,  moreover,  can  emphasize 
the  great  appeals  of  the  Church  at  large.  By  way  of  “filler,” 
the  wise  editor  may  employ  thought-provoking  epigrams  and 
slogans. 

The  majority  of  these  church  papers  are  well  edited. 
Their  excellence  of  form  is  ascribed  by  some  pastors  to 
helpful  suggestions  from  the  local  newspaper  man.  Most 
of  the  papers  show  good  page  arrangement,  with  clear-cut 
heads  to  articles  and  sufficient  space  between  lines  to  attract 
the  reader  who  might  be  repelled  by  a  crowded  page.  The 
tone  of  a  number  of  these  organs  may  be  characterized  as 
breezy.  The  editors,  whether  they  be  pastors  or  laymen, 
have  acquired  the  knack  of  what  may  be  called  snappy  writ¬ 
ing;  of  putting  the  important  feature  of  the  story  well  in 
the  lead,  and  of  rousing  and  holding  the  reader’s  interest. 
These  papers  are  not  issued  merely  for  pastime,  but  because 
those  who  understand  the  labor  of  their  production  are  con¬ 
vinced  their  publication  is  warranted  by  the  results. 

The  expense  of  publishing  them  is  met  in  various  ways. 
Some  are  financed  by  means  of  commercial  advertisements. 
Others  are  paid  for,  at  least  in  part,  by  a  small  annual  sub¬ 
scription  price  of  from  twenty-five  to  fifty  cents.  Occa¬ 
sionally  the  paper  is  published  by  the  Christian  Endeavor 
Society,  the  details  of  its  business  management  being  handled 
by  the  young  people,  with  the  pastor  serving  as  editor-in- 
chief.  In  some  instances  the  expense  is  borne  by  a  publicity 
appropriation  in  the  Church  budget.  A  paper  of  this  kind, 
as  the  local  printer  soon  proves,  is  riot  expensive ;  a  hundred 
dollars  more  or  less  represents  the  average  outlay.  These 
successful  churches  are  convinced  that  sustained,  energetic, 
live  publicity  brings  in,  either  directly  or  indirectly,  much 
more  than  it  costs. 

The  problem  of  distribution  is  not  serious.  Generally  the 


146  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


paper  is  distributed  at  church,  copies  being  mailed  to  those 
not  in  attendance.  Sometimes  the  entire  edition  is  mailed 
in  advance  of  Sunday.  In  other  cases  the  paper  is  dis¬ 
tributed  by  the  Boy  Scouts;  in  still  others  several  Sunday 
school  classes  attend  to  the  distribution,  each  distributing 
an  issue.  The  local  church  paper  averages  from  four  to 
eight  pages,  and  is  of  a  size  that  will  enable  it  to  be  slipped 
into  a  large  envelope,  or  when  folded,  into  an  envelope  of 
ordinary  size. 

Some  churches  print  instead  of  the  parish  newspaper,  or 
in  addition  to  it,  an  annual  which  contains  a  directory  of  the 
members  and  a  program  of  activities,  more  or  less  detailed, 
for  the  year  ahead.  Some  of  these  annuals,  bound  as 
attractive  booklets,  are  meant  to  be  preserved  by  the  mem¬ 
bers  for  reference.  The  cost  of  publication  is  often  paid 
for  in  part  by  advertisements.  It  is  to  be  doubted  whether 
an  annual  is  as  effective  as  a  less  ambitious  parish  news¬ 
paper  appearing  at  more  frequent  intervals.  An  annual 
might  be  put  out  as  one  of  the  numbers  of  such  a  paper. 

CALENDARS 

A  similar  publicity  device  employed  by  several  of  the 
churches  is  an  annual  calendar  carrying  a  picture  of  the 
church  and  containing  reminders  of  the  services  and  of  the 
seasons  of  the  church  year.  Through  denominational  pub¬ 
lishing  houses  it  is  possible  to  obtain  calendars  of  various 
sizes  and  designs,  provided  with  blank  spaces  for  the  inser¬ 
tion  of  local  matter. 

Another  form  of  printed  publicity  matter,  which  is  used 
by  the  Methodist  church  of  Rolla,  Missouri,  consists  of  cards 
with  perforations  at  the  top  and  the  request,  “Please  hang 
me  up  in  a  conspicuous  place.”  On  one  such  card,  below  an 
attractive  picture  of  the  church,  was  a  general  invitation  to  a 
series  of  Sunday  evening  services.  Toward  the  bottom 
were  attached,  calendar  fashion,  several  uniform  slips  of 
paper,  upon  each  of  which,  beside  a  portrait  of  the  minister, 
was  a  detailed  announcement  of  one  of  the  services.  Upon 
the  card  itself,  hidden  by  the  detachable  slips,  was  a  calendar 
of  regular  church  activities. 


PUBLICITY 


147 


MISCELLANEOUS  ADVERTISING 

These  churches  use  the  printing  press  in  still  other  ways. 
Half  of  them  employ  at  irregular  intervals  printed  circulars 
announcing  anything  from  a  lawn  party  to  the  lenten  serv¬ 
ices.  More  than  half  these  churches  also  use  large  cards, 
placing  them  not  only  on  their  own  bulletin  boards  but  in 
the  windows  of  various  stores  and  at  the  hotels,  the  school 
and  elsewhere. 

THE  MAIL  SERVICE 

Uncle  Sam  is  a  willing  carrier,  at  a  minimum  of  expense, 
of  such  advertisements  as  postal  cards,  folders,  money- 
envelopes  and  letters.  The  publicity  value  of  these  is  un¬ 
deniable,  especially  in  the  country  where  the  average  person 
does  not  receive  a  large  amount  of  mail.  Virtually  all  the 
churches  studied  attribute  great  value  to  the  personal  letter. 
After  an  evangelistic  campaign,  in  particular,  the  new  mem¬ 
ber  is  glad  to  feel  that  the  church  is  writing  to  him,  proudly 
remembering  his  entry  into  the  ranks  and  looking  to  him 
for  cooperation  and  service.  The  minister  of  the  Methodist 
Circuit  at  Larned,  Kansas,  sends  to  migrant  harvest  hands 
letters  welcoming  them  as  guests  of  the  church  and  of  the 
community  during  the  season.  The  human  and  spiritual 
link  established  by  mail  with  these  homeless,  friendless 
migrants  is  of  incalculable  value. 

Letters,  even  when  mimeographed  or  otherwise  mani¬ 
folded,  enable  the  pastor  to  speak  in  a  more  direct  and  per¬ 
sonal  way  than  he  can  even  in  a  parish  paper.  On  a  given 
subject  a  letter  may  be  sent  to  members,  a  variant  of  it  to 
friends  of  the  church,  another  to  men,  and  another  to  women 
or  to  young  people.  Postal  cards  are  used,  especially  as 
announcements  or  reminders  of  coming  events,  by  three- 
fourths  of  the  churches.  The  Presbyterian  church  at  Day- 
ton,  Indiana,  keeps  a  special  guest  book  in  which  visitors 
are  asked  to  sign  their  names.  Long  after  they  have  re¬ 
turned  to  their  homes  these  visitors  receive  printed  com¬ 
munications  from  the  church. 


148  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


GOOD  TASTE  AND  STYLE 

Writing  of  news  is  not  made  effective  by  exaggeration  or 
by  the  piling  up  of  adjectives,  but  by  accuracy,  crispness 
and  naturalness.  Conditions  vary  and  so  must  style.  The 
pastor  who  knows  just  what  his  church  has  to  offer  and 
just  how  much  it  means  to  the  community,  will  know  what 
to  say.  The  pastor  will  know  how  to  say  it  who  knows  the 
problems  of  the  individuals  and  the  families  in  his  com¬ 
munity.  But  the  mechanics  of  advertising  he  usually  has 
to  study.  From  the  local  printer  he  should  learn  the  beauty 
and  the  appropriate  uses  of  the  various  fonts  of  type,  the 
psychology  of  tasteful  display  methods,  and  the  most 
effective  uses  of  cuts.  Failure  properly  to  employ  such 
mechanical  devices  results  in  expenditure  of  money  without 
adequate  return.  Attention  to  details  like  these  has  gone 
far  to  render  the  publicity  of  the  churches  here  studied 
unusually  productive  of  results.  The  Church  should  not 
stoop,  however,  to  vulgar  advertising  “stunts.”  Its  publicity 
should  be  distinguished  from  the  ordinary  flood  of  advertise¬ 
ments  by  dignity  and  good  taste. 

THE  TELEPHONE 

Another  common  medium  of  publicity  is  the  telephone, 
establishing  as  it  does  in  a  scattered  rural  community  a 
personal  and  direct  contact  with  church  and  pastor.  The 
Methodist  pastor  at  Lander,  Pennsylvania,  for  example, 
with  lieutenants  on  each  of  the  five  rural  telephone  lines,  is 
able  to  spread  rapidly  throughout  his  community  any  church 
announcements. 


PULPIT  NOTICES 

The  obvious  and  time-honored  method  of  spreading  in¬ 
formation  through  announcements  from  the  pulpit  has  its 
value  and  still  forms  part  of  the  publicity  program  in  almost 
all  churches.  Surveyors  were  impressed,  however,  where 
this  device  was  employed,  with  the  brevity  of  the  announce- 


PUBLICITY 


149 


ments.  No  time  was  lost  over  this  part  of  the  exercises. 
The  minister  had  something  to  say ;  he  said  it  and  stopped. 

In  several  communities  so  fortunate  as  to  have  but  one 
church,  announcements  of  church  activities  were  made  at 
various  community  gatherings ;  and  in  one  case  such  notices 
were  regularly  given  in  each  classroom  of  the  consolidated 
school. 

STEREO PTICON  AND  MOTION-PICTURES 

Through  its  benevolences  the  local  church  takes  part  in  the 
work  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  throughout  the  world.  The 
scope  of  its  publicity  program,  therefore,  should  also  be 
world-wide.  In  this  field  of  church  publicity — which,  of 
course,  is  more  commonly  known  as  missionary  education — 
virtually  all  the  successful  churches  make  use  of  the  stereop- 
ticon,  or  the  moving-picture  machine,  or  of  both.  Through 
these  instruments,  especially  if  care  and  taste  are  used  in  the 
choice  of  subjects  and  slides  or  films,  both  home  and  foreign 
missionary  work  can  be  vividly  portrayed.  The  churches 
studied  are  unusually  keen  in  ferreting  out  good  sources 
of  material.  They  draw  not  only  upon  the  resources  of  their 
denominational  boards,  but  where  such  service  is  rendered 
by  the  state  university  or  state  library,  upon  the  many  really 
beautiful  lectures  which  these  agencies  put  at  their  disposal 
at  a  very  nominal  cost.1 

THE  CHURCH  MAGAZINE 

Akin  to  this  type  of  educational  material  are  the  national 
or  regional  periodicals  of  the  denominations,  which  most  of 
these  churches  recommend  to  their  members  in  order  to  link 
them  to  the  larger  work  of  the  denominational  bodies.  Sub¬ 
scriptions  are  obtained  through  the  parish  paper,  pulpit 
announcements,  and  solicitation  by  one  or  another  of  the 
church  societies.  If  the  work  is  done  by  a  society,  this 
organization  receives  in  some  cases  a  considerable  com¬ 
mission  for  its  work. 

JFor  further  discussion  of  this  topic  see  the  chapters  on  Equip¬ 
ment  and  Missionary  Education. 


150  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


MANAGING  AND  PAYING  FOR  PUBLICITY 

In  four  out  of  every  five  of  these  churches  full  responsi¬ 
bility  for  the  publicity  program  rests  with  the  pastor,  who  is, 
however,  often  assisted  by  individuals  or  by  committees. 
For  the  rest  of  the  churches,  the  matter  is  under  the  charge 
of  a  committee,  or  of  an  individual  who  sometimes  is  con¬ 
nected  with  the  local  paper. 

The  financing  of  the  publicity  program  shows  greater 
variety.  In  some  churches  the  program  is  supported  either 
by  the  proceeds  of  advertisements,  by  individual  contribu¬ 
tions  or  by  a  combination  of  the  two  methods.  In  three 
instances  the  pastor  pays  the  bills,  an  indefensible  pro¬ 
cedure  adopted  only  because  these  three  churches  are  of  the 
smaller,  weaker,  missionary  type.  One  church  sets  aside 
for  its  publicity  expenses  the  prayer  meeting  offerings  for 
the  year.  In  a  few  other  instances,  one  or  another  of  the 
organizations  of  the  church  pays  the  bills.  In  the  majority 
of  cases,  however,  a  definite  sum  is  written  into  the  church 
budget,  and  against  this  appropriation  the  publicity  expenses 
are  charged.  These  sums  range  from  $20  to  $500,  and 
average  $121 ;  and  in  the  greater  number  of  cases  the 
amount  is  between  $50  and  $100.  In  some  instances  the 
appropriations  named  are  over  and  above  the  receipts  from 
advertisements  and  subscriptions.  The  churches  all  feel 
that  the  expense  is  more  than  justified.  Only  one  church 
is  reported  to  have  reduced  its  appropriation;  and  even  that 
one  still  applies  $100  a  year  to  publicity. 

SUMMARY 

The  publicity  program  of  an  average  town  or  country  church 
should  include  several,  and  may  include  most,  of  the  following 
methods  and  articles  of  equipment : 

1.  An  inventory  of  the  means  at  hand,  as  newspapers,  movies, 
mail,  telephone,  other  organizations,  frequented  centers 
including  stores. 

2.  Connections  with,  and  cooperation  of  editor,  moving-pic¬ 
ture  theater  proprietor,  storekeepers,  etc. 


PUBLICITY 


151 


3.  A  church  slogan  or  motto  to  be  used  in  all  articles,  on 
stationery,  etc. 

4.  A  church  seal.  A  die  made  from  pen-and-ink  drawing 
should  not  cost  more  than  $2.00. 

5.  A  typewriter  for  director  of  publicity.  A  machine  of 
junior  or  portable  type  can  be  purchased  for  from  $50  to 
$60. 

6.  A  duplicator  or  mimeograph.  Advertising  pages  of  re¬ 
ligious  journals  present  various  kinds,  with  prices.  A 
duplicator  may  be  had  for  about  $10.  Mimeographs  come 
at  various  prices,  the  maximum  price  being  $150. 

7.  One  or  more  bulletin  boards.  A  neat  hand-made  board 
for  the  posting  of  notices  can  be  constructed  for  from  $10 
to  $20.  A  manufactured  board  with  movable  letters  ranges 
in  price  from  $40  to  $105. 

8.  A  program  of  methods  of  publicity  adopted,  as  parish 
paper,  letters,  etc.,  with  frequency  of  each. 

9.  An  organization,  probably  a  publicity  committee,  with 
power  to  appoint  a  correspondent  from  each  organization, 
an  editor  to  check  up  on  copy  and  prepare  it  for  publica¬ 
tion,  a  business  manager  to  secure  advertisements  and  sub¬ 
scriptions,  to  prepare  and  keep  up-to-date  mailing  lists, 
and  to  arrange  for  distribution  of  all  material  published. 

The  above  program  includes  many  items.  Not  all  need  be 
used  by  any  one  church.  Assuming  there  is  a  certain  amount 
of  equipment,  the  following  is  suggested  as  a  maintenance 
budget  for  the  year’s  publicity,  adapted  to  a  church  of  150 
members : 


Paid  advertising .  $  20.00 

Window  cards,  leaflets  and  folders .  30.00 

Monthly  letter  to  all  members  and  friends 

(postage  and  stationery) .  50.00 

Stencils,  typewriter  ribbons,  incidentals .  7.50 

Maintenance  of  bulletin  boards,  news  letters, 
etc .  3.50 


$111.00 

A  four-page  parish  paper,  costing  from  $8.00  to  $10.00  per 
issue,  can  be  made  self-sustaining  through  advertisements  and 
subscriptions. 


152  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 


Church  Advertising — W.  B.  Ashley.  Lippincott,  1917.  $1.50. 
Church  and  Sunday  School  Publicity — Herbert  H.  Smith. 

Westminster  Press,  1922.  $1.25. 

Handbook  of  Church  Advertising — Francis  Case.  Abingdon 
Press,  1921.  $1.25. 

TOPICS  FOR  DISCUSSION 

1.  What  should  be  the  concrete  objectives  of  a  church’s  pub¬ 
licity  ? 

2.  What  forms  of  publicity  are  best  adapted  to  reach  (a) 
non-church  members;  (b)  church  members  rarely  present 
at  services;  (c)  regular  attendants? 

3.  How  may  publicity  be  made  a  means  not  only  of  drawing 
people  to  services,  lectures,  etc.,  but  of  increasing  the  loyalty 
of  members  toward  their  church? 

4.  “The  children  of  this  world  are  in  their  generation  wiser 
than  the  children  of  light.”  How  true  is  this  as  applied  to 
average  methods  of  church  and  commercial  advertising? 

5.  Outline  publicity  campaigns  adapted  to  the  following  situa¬ 
tions  : 

(a)  An  open  country  church,  alone  in  its  community. 
Many  non-members  irregularly  attend  the  services 
and  other  activities.  Sum  available  for  the  year,  $50. 

(b)  A  village  community  with  two  churches,  both  sparsely 
attended.  A  large  Protestant  factory  element  is  un¬ 
touched  by  local  church  influences.  Sum  available 
for  the  year,  $150. 

6.  In  what  circumstances,  if  at  all,  should  commercial  adver¬ 

tisements  appear  on  church  publicity  material? 

7.  How  can  church  organizations  such  as  the  Boy  Scouts  be 

helpful  in  a  campaign  of  publicity? 

8.  In  conducting  publicity  for  the  church,  against  what  dangers 

should  we  be  on  our  guard? 

9.  How  would  you  carry  on  an  advertising  campaign  to  in¬ 

crease  interest  in  the  mid-week  service?  What  re¬ 
turn  can  be  expected  from  this  type  of  announce¬ 
ment  : 

“The  minister  and  the  janitor  will  hold  their  usual 
prayer  meeting  on  Wednesday  evening”? 


PUBLICITY 


153 


What  has  your  church  to  advertise?  List  in  order  of  im¬ 
portance.  Why  should  these  attractions  be  advertised  in 
the  order  you  adopt?  What  proportion  of  time  and  money 
should  be  allotted  to  each  of  the  various  items? 


Chapter  IX 

COMMUNITY  WELFARE  AND  CHURCH 

COOPERATION 

The  churches  dealt  with  here  have  community  service  as 
an  ideal.  They  show  how  a  church  can  minister  to  the  wel¬ 
fare  of  the  community  and  how  it  can  cooperate  with  other 
agencies  that  have  kindred  ideals,  as  well  as  with  other 
churches.  Much  of  the  community  service  work  of  the 
churches  has  already  been  described.  Their  organizations 
do  a  great  deal  of  it;  their  parish  houses  are  community 
assets.  Details  already  given  will  not  be  repeated  in  this 
chapter;  but  the  more  important  facts  will  be  summarized. 

COMMUNITY  WELFARE 

I.  Cooperation  with  the  School 
At  Parma,  Idaho,  the  church  and  schools  cooperate  at 
every  point.  Together  they  employ  a  man  to  take  charge  of 
music,  who  also  leads  all  community  singing.  The  school 
uses  the  community  house  gymnasium.  The  Superintendent 
of  Schools  is  the  adviser  for  the  Senior  Christian  Endeavor 
Society,  a  large  proportion  of  whose  members  are  high  school 
students.  At  Honey  Creek,  Wisconsin,  the  school,  church 
and  community  house  are  regarded  by  the  community  almost 
as  one  plant,  and  the  respective  buildings  are  open  alike  to 
school,  church  and  community  for  all  reasonable  purposes. 
The  same  situation  exists  in  a  number  of  other  communities 
each  of  which  has  only  one  church.  Many  school  auditoriums 
are  open  to  the  churches  for  lectures  and  entertainments. 
Three  of  the  churches  have  lent  the  full  weight  of  their  in¬ 
fluence  to  school  consolidation  campaigns,  all  of  which  have 
been  successful.  A  number  of  ministers  and  of  leading 

i54 


COMMUNITY  WELFARE 


1 55 


church  members  cooperate  freely  with  parent-teacher  as¬ 
sociations.  Several  of  the  churches  give  annual  receptions 
to  the  school  teachers.  One  Sunday  each  year  is  also  given 
to  a  discussion  of  the  spiritual  implications  of  education,  and 
the  relationship  between  the  church  and  the  school. 

II.  Civic  Improvement 

(a)  Roads — Good  roads  are  vital  to  the  country  church, 
and  the  larger  the  parish  the  more  important  they  are.  There 
have  been  several  instances  of  cooperation  between  church 
and  community  in  behalf  of  good  roads.  The  cooperative 
action  at  Collbran,  Colorado,  and  Prairie  Grove,  Arkansas, 
may  be  taken  as  typical  of  these.  The  Collbran  Congrega¬ 
tional  church  held  a  special  “Good  Roads”  meeting.  After 
the  exhibition  of  a  moving-picture  showing  roads  in  the 
making,  there  was  a  discussion  which  led  to  immediate  favor¬ 
able  action  on  the  part  of  the  citizens.  At  Prairie  Grove, 
the  Methodist  church  sent  its  Boy  Scouts  under  the  leader¬ 
ship  of  the  pastor  to  help  the  business  men  who  actually 
built  a  part  of  the  Ozark  Trail.  Onlookers  said  that  when 
the  boys  got  to  work  “it  was  enough  to  make  a  steam  shovel 
jealous.” 

(b)  Fire  Department — As  described  in  Chapter  IV,  the 
Boy  Scouts  of  Dayton,  Indiana,  under  the  leadership  of  the 
Presbyterian  church,  are  also  the  town  fire  department. 
Their  equipment  includes  a  sixty  gallon  chemical  engine,  a 
few  smaller  chemical  tanks,  buckets,  roof  and  extension 
ladders. 

(c)  Law  Enforcement — These  churches  stand  fearlessly 
for  law  enforcement.  At  Post  Falls,  Idaho,  the  pastor  of 
the  community  church  (Presbyterian)  discovered  that  a  good 
many  of  the  townspeople,  including  the  town  marshal,  were 
intoxicated  at  a  lodge  dance.  He  called  a  meeting  for  the 
next  Sunday  evening,  at  which  the  district  judge  and  the 
prosecuting  attorney  were  asked  to  speak,  the  pastor  preach¬ 
ing  on  the  topic — “The  Disgrace  of  Post  Falls.”  As  a  result 
the  town  marshal  resigned,  and  the  dance  with  booze  is 
ended. 


1 56  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


(d)  Politics — The  part  of  several  of  the  men’s  organiza¬ 
tions  in  insuring  clean  town  government  has  already  been 
discussed  (see  page  80). 

(e)  Village  Improvement — Women’s  organizations  in  sev¬ 
eral  churches  have  conducted  campaigns  for  town  improve¬ 
ment,  have  encouraged  residents  to  plant  flowers,  furnished 
the  community  with  playground  equipment,  beautified  the 
railroad  station,  and  campaigned  for  modern  buildings  along 
the  main  street  and  for  modern  appliances  in  the  homes. 

(f)  Poor  Relief — In  several  of  the  communities  having 
only  one  church  each,  all  poor  relief  efforts  center  in  the 
church  or  in  one  of  its  subsidiary  organizations. 

(g)  Cultural  Activities — The  concerts,  lectures,  lyceum 
courses  and  occasional  Chautauquas  promoted  by  these 
churches,  are  all  of  value  to  the  community.  A  number  of 
church  buildings  either  house  the  community  library  or  both 
house  and  manage  it.  To  the  small  library  of  the  church 
is  added,  in  several  of  these,  the  traveling  library  of  the 
state  which  was  secured  through  the  initiative  of  the  pastor. 

(h)  Citizenship  Building — All  the  character-building  work 
of  the  church  is  citizenship  building ;  but  three  of  these 
churches  have  been  peculiarly  successful  among  special  types 
of  people,  the  Negroes,  Mexicans,  Indians.  The  Lone  Oak — 
Montholia — Methodist  circuit  in  Texas  has  restored  to  self- 
respect  two  discouraged  Negro  communities.  Bank  ac¬ 
counts  have  been  started,  farms  purchased  and  educational 
activities  carried  on.1  The  Presbyterian  mission  at  San 
Gabriel,  California,  has  done  a  similar  service  for  Mexicans. 
At  Sacaton  a  mission,  also  conducted  by  the  Presbyterians, 
has  shown  the  fitness  of  the  Indians  for  civilization  and  for 
Christianity.2  To  teach  the  Indians  to  value  their  land  and 
to  understand  that  debts  incurred  by  the  borrowing  of 
money  must  be  paid,  the  Mission  maintains  a  loan  fund. 
Through  the  influence  of  the  Mission,  a  bank  in  a  near-by 
town  has  also  created  such  a  fund. 

(i)  Health — The  health  work  of  these  churches  has  been 

1  See  “Churches  of  Distinction  in  Town  and  Country,”  Chapter 
VIII. 

2  Ibid.,  Chapter  VII. 


COMMUNITY  WELFARE 


157 


particularly  significant.  Two  conduct  medical  clinics.  One 
has  both  a  medical  clinic  and  a  dental  clinic  which  give  serv¬ 
ice  at  very  low  rates.  Clean-up  week  has  been  initiated  in  the 
communities  of  several.  Hospitals  at  the  county  seat  have 
been  financially  aided,  and  there  has  been  active  cooperation 
with  the  county  Child  Welfare  organization  and  the  Anti¬ 
tuberculosis  Society.  At  Collbran,  Colorado,  there  has  been 
particularly  effective  cooperation  with  the  board  of  health 
and  the  district  nurse ;  while  the  exceptional  church  at  Buck- 
horn,  Kentucky,  conducts  its  own  small  hospital  with  a  resi¬ 
dent  staff  of  physicians  and  nurses.  Health  bulletins  have 
been  distributed.  Pulpits  have  been  opened  occasionally  to 
county  health-nurses  or  officers  of  the  state  health  depart¬ 
ment.  A  fearless,  timely  word  by  one  pastor  decided  the 
citizens  in  favor  of  a  much-needed  sewerage  project  which 
did  away  with  open  cesspools  that  had  long  endangered  the 
health  of  a  prosperous  village. 

AGRICULTURAL  WELFARE 

These  churches  understand  that  it  is  not  their  business  to 
preach  scientific  farming;  but  they  do  understand,  as  one 
pastor  said,  that — “If  God’s  house  is  to  prosper  the  soil  must 
be  kept  fertile,  the  flocks  and  herds  built  up  and  the  farm 
homes  made  contented  and  happy.”  Hence  they  have  helped 
in  many  ways  to  improve  methods  and  conditions  of 
agriculture. 

I.  The  Survey 

A  survey  of  one  church  indicated  that  the  economic  con¬ 
dition  of  the  community  was  not  as  serious  as  the  people  had 
believed  it  to  be.  The  result  was  a  revival  of  confidence 
and  a  new  interest  in  crop  diversification. 

II.  Demonstration  Farm 

Half  a  dozen  of  these  churches  have  farms  of  their  own. 
Several  are  used  as  actual  demonstration  points  for  the 


158  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


community.  One  pastor,  a  former  county  agent,  bettered 
the  whole  life  of  a  less  favored  agricultural  community  by 
showing  how  profits  could  be  made  by  intensive  cultivation 
and  crop  diversification.  Two  of  the  farms  are  the  property 
of  the  Negro  circuit  just  mentioned.  The  people  share  in 
the  planting  of  the  crops  and  divide  the  harvest  from  these 
farms.  Agricultural  clubs  were  formed  and  prizes  awarded 
for  the  best  specimens.  Agricultural  and  canning  clubs 
among  the  boys  and  girls  are,  in  fact,  quite  common. 

III.  Farm  Institutes,  etc. 

Ten  of  the  churches  have  held  farm  institutes  of  one  kind 
or  another,  bringing  in  specialists  from  the  state  depart¬ 
ment  of  agriculture  and  discussing  topics  of  interest  to  the 
farmers  and  their  communities.  In  two  instances  these  in¬ 
stitutes  lasted  for  several  days  and  there  was  a  religious 
service  each  evening.  In  addition  to  the  agricultural  topics 
discussed  at  one  of  these  institutes,  the  farm  home,  the 
community  center,  the  school  and  religious  training  were 
given  places  on  the  program. 

IV.  Employment  Service 

Two  churches  operate  a  labor  exchange  or  employment 
bureau,  especially  during  the  height  of  the  harvest.  In  each 
instance  there  is  no  other  agency  to  perform  this  service 
and  the  church  has  the  personnel,  the  equipment  and  the 
office;  more  important  still,  it  has  the,  confidence  of  the 
community. 

V.  Agricultural  Cooperation 

Three  churches  have  been  directly  or  indirectly  responsible 
for  the  organization  of  local  units  of  the  County  Farm  Bu¬ 
reau,  or  for  the  organization  of  the  Grange.  The  influence 
of  one  church  and  its  pastor  caused  membership  of  the  town 
Chamber  of  Commerce  to  be  opened  to  farmers.  The 


COMMUNITY  WELFARE  159 

problem  of  relationship  between  town  and  country  forthwith 
disappeared.3 


COMMUNITY  ORGANIZATION 

Naturally  the  church  as  a  community  institution  co¬ 
operates  with  other  institutions  and  agencies.  Such  co¬ 
operation  has  been  indicated  in  the  preceding  paragraphs. 
The  major  service  of  a  number  of  these  churches  has  re¬ 
sulted,  however,  from  their  ability  to  organize  the  entire 
community  for  effective  service,  rather  than  from  their  co¬ 
operation  with  local  agencies.  Nevertheless,  quite  a  number 
of  the  churches  have  been  identified  with  the  creation  of 
community  councils  in  which  have  centered  virtually  all 
community  interests.  Representation  in  the  council  is 
usually  on  an  organizational  basis,  each  lodge,  and  club,  and 
school,  and  church  having  at  least  one  delegate.  The  council 
functions  through  committees,  each  of  which  covers  some 
phase  of  community  interest,  such  as  recreation,  agriculture, 
home  and  school,  health  or  civic  improvement.  This  council 
serves  as  a  clearing  house  for  the  organizations,  prevents 
conflicts  of  dates,  works  out  community  programs  upon 
which  all  can  agree,  and  makes  possible  the  settling  of  all 
the  forces  of  the  community  in  favor  of  an  agreed-upon 
program  with  a  minimum  of  lost  effort  and  friction.  In 
three  instances  the  minister  of  the  church  is  either  president 
or  secretary  of  this  organization. 

I.  Cooperation  with  National  Agencies 

A  large  number  of  these  churches  ally  themselves  definitely 
with  certain  national  agencies,  or  with  local  branches  of 
such  agencies  if  these  exist.  Several  give  a  room  for  the 
use  of  the  Red  Cross ;  many  cooperate  in  the  national  mem¬ 
bership  drive  of  this  organization.  Representatives  of  the 
Near  East  Relief  and  similar  agencies  are  given  opportunity 

3  The  service  of  the  Larned,  Kan.,  Methodist  circuit  to  migrant 
laborers  has  been  mentioned  in  this  book  and  is  also  described  in 
Chapter  V  of  “Churches  of  Distinction  in  Town  and  Country.” 


160  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


to  present  their  causes  to  the  people.  There  is  cooperation 
with  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. ;  and  two  or  three  churches  have 
classes  organized  as  Y.  M.  C.  A.  groups.  It  should  be 
said,  however,  that  just  because  these  churches  are  success¬ 
ful  and  are  performing  functions  which  in  some  communities 
fall  to  other  agencies,  there  are  instances  in  which  they  do 
not  cooperate  with  outside  organizations.  In  a  number  of 
cases  the  work  for  boys  and  girls  is  so  well  organized  and 
so  efficiently  conducted  that  the  churches  have  no  need  for 
the  assistance  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  or  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.  They 
are  doing  everything  that  the  Association  would  do  for  its 
boys ;  and  in  addition  they  are  conducting  activities  for  the 
other  age-  and  sex-groups  included  in  their  membership. 

II.  Interdenominational  Cooperation 

Naturally  the  agencies  with  which  these  churches  ally  them¬ 
selves  are  most  frequently  religious.  Ten  of  the  forty,  how¬ 
ever,  are  in  communities  or  neighborhoods  where  there  are 
no  other  evangelical  churches.  The  other  thirty  are  very 
ready  to  cooperate.  Such  cooperation  begins  with  union 
services,  particularly  on  occasions  of  special  interest  to  the 
nation  or  the  community,  such  as  Thanksgiving  Day  and 
'Memorial  Day  or  the  Graduation  Sunday  of  the  high  school. 
Union  services  in  summer  are  common.  In  one  instance 
there  is  a  union  Sunday  school,  and  in  another  community 
the  women’s  missionary  societies  of  five  churches  have 
weekly  prayer  services.  Cooperation  in  special  evangelistic 
services  is  frequent,  and  union  Christian  Endeavor  Society 
meetings  are  common.  Churches  with  community  houses 
frequently  open  them  to  sister  denominations  for  special 
events,  and  the  parish  house  of  one  contains  a  community 
kitchen  which  all  can  use.  Plays  or  pageants  staged  by  one 
or  another  of  the  organizations  are  frequently  repeated 
throughout  the  area  in  which  the  church  is  known,  for 
the  benefit  of  causes  in  which  nearby  churches  are  interested. 
Teams  of  men,  or  of  young  folk,  from  the  successful 
churches  frequently  go  out  to  assist  congregations  or  com¬ 
munities  in  which  religious  work  or  some  department  of 


COMMUNITY  WELFARE 


161 


church  organization  seems  to  be  languishing.  Cooperation 
in  athletics  has  already  been  discussed. 

These  churches  cooperate  extensively  in  organized  inter¬ 
denominational  activities.  They  are  represented  at  church 
and  Sunday  school  conventions,  and  they  make  sure  that 
their  delegates  to  such  conferences  report  to  them.  Further¬ 
more  they  give  to  interdominational  agencies  and  causes. 
Interdenominational  cooperation  is  often  directed  by  a  min¬ 
isterial  association. 

The  extent  to  which  these  churches  are  willing  to  co¬ 
operate  with  persons  in  other  denominations  is  shown  par¬ 
ticularly  by  the  ten  which  are  the  only  churches  in  their  com¬ 
munities.  These  ten  all  have  associate  or  affiliated  member¬ 
ships  which  are  open  to  adherents  of  other  denominations 
who  do  not  desire  to  surrender  their  original  connection, 
but  who  do  desire  to  worship  in  the  community  in  which 
they  live.  These  affiliated  members  are  admitted  either  upon 
certification  from  their  churches  or  on  signing  a  simple  con¬ 
fession  of  faith,  acknowledging  Jesus  Christ  as  Savior  and 
promising  to  seek  and  obey  His  will.  Under  such  condi¬ 
tions  tolerance  of  one  another’s  beliefs  is  imperative,  and 
this  tolerance  exists.  At  the  Imperial,  California,  com¬ 
munity  church  one  Sunday  evening  the  minister  received 
some  members  by  sprinkling,  some  by  immersion  and  some, 
Friends,  by  a  simple  notice  that  they  desired  to  unite  with 
the  church.  One  elder,  formerly  a  member  of  an  immersion- 
ist  denomination,  held  the  font  while  the  minister  performed 
the  rite  of  baptism  by  sprinkling;  and  another  elder,  a  Friend, 
who  did  not  believe  in  any  kind  of  baptism,  helped  to  fill 
the  baptistry  for  the  immersion.  It  will  be  seen,  therefore, 
why  a  number  of  these  churches,  though  not  Baptist  in  their 
denominational  affiliations,  include  the  baptistry  in  their 
equipment. 

The  results  of  this  spirit  of  tolerance  and  cooperation  are 
clearly  evident  in  the  membership  rolls.  From  a  half-dozen 
to  sixteen  denominations,  including  former  Roman  Catholics 
and  Mormons,  are  listed  on  the  various  membership  rolls  of 
these  churches. 

These  scattered  instances  are  typical  of  many  that  have 


162  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


been  gleaned  from  the  study  of  these  churches.  It  is  to  be 
seen  that  they  believe  in  teamwork.  Where  agencies  exist 
that  they  can  trust  they  are  willing  to  depute  certain  tasks 
to  them,  and  to  cooperate  to  the  full  in  the  accomplishment 
of  these  tasks.  On  the  other  hand,  where  the  need  exists 
and  other  agencies  are  neither  present  nor  within  call,  the 
church  does  not  flinch  from  its  responsibility  to  see  that  in 
every  community  there  is  an  opportunity  for  a  satisfying 
life,  and  where  necessary  the  program  is  extended  to  meet 
the  needs  of  the  people. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Fear  God  In  Your  Own  Village — Richard  Morse.  Holt,  1918. 
212  pp.  $1.30. 

Church  Cooperation  in  Community  Life — Paul  L.  Vogt. 

Abingdon  Press,  1921.  171  pp.  $1.00. 

The  Church  at  Play:  A  Manual  for  Directors  of  Social  and 
Recreational  Life — Norman  E.  Richardson.  Abingdon 
Press,  1922.  317  pp.  $1.50. 

TOPICS  FOR  DISCUSSION 

1.  "Bad  politics,  social  evils,  insanitary  streets  and  houses, 
long  hours  for  women  workers,  the  labor  of  little  children, 
rotten  municipal  administrations  will  continue  as  long  as 
churches  continue  to  regard  themselves  as  rival  groups 
without  social  functions.  They  will  be  to  a  large  extent 
mitigated,  if  not  in  many  cases  destroyed,  if  the  churches 
of  any  community  deliberately  undertake  the  process  of 
evangelizing  public  opinion.”  4  Show  how  some  church  or 
group  of  churches  has  improved  each  kind  of  bad  conditions 
named. 

2.  What  levers  has  the  country  church  by  which  to  influence 
public  opinion? 

3.  Express  in  writing  your  conception  of  the  phrase  "social 
gospel.”  Do  you  accept  the  ideal  it  sets  for  the  church? 

4.  Check  any  of  the  following  that  are  needed  in  your  com¬ 
munity  :  improved  roads,  farmers’  cooperative  organization, 
public  waterworks,  hospital,  sewers,  inspection  of  milk, 

4  Mathews,  Shailer,  "Scientific  Management  in  the  Churches,”  pp. 
49,  50. 


COMMUNITY  WELFARE 


163 


campaign  against  flies  or  mosquitoes,  laws  about  wells,  laws 
about  sanitation,  about  quarantine  against  contagious  dis¬ 
eases,  garbage  collection,  clean-up  day,  telephone,  hall  for 
public  gatherings,  lecture  course.  What  has  your  church 
done  to  help  bring  about  any  such  improvement? 

5.  What  conditions  in  your  community  are  worrying  conscien¬ 
tious  parents?  (E.g.,  jazz  dancing,  hooch,  objectionable 
movies,  rowdyism  among  young  people,  a  pool-room  or 
other  place  of  resort  where  influences  are  bad,  etc.)  In 
regard  to  each  live  issue,  tell  what  your  church  is  actually 
doing  to  meet  the  situation,  and  what  more  it  might  do. 

6.  Has  a  church  anything  to  do  with  running  water  in  farm 
kitchens?  If  so,  what?  Mention  three  ways  in  which  a 
community  church  can  raise  the  standard  of  living  in  the 
community. 

7.  What  do  people  talk  about  in  your  community?  Listen  to 
the  conversation  at  the  country  store,  the  moving-picture 
theater,  the  church  steps,  between  church  and  Sunday  school, 
the  Ladies’  Aid,  jotting  down  topics.  What  proportion  of 
time  is  given  to  (1)  people,  (2)  things,  (3)  ideas?  How 
much  time  is  consumed  in  superficial  or  malicious  gossip? 
How  much  interest  is  indicated  by  the  talk  in  the  program 
of  the  church? 

8.  “Nothing  to  do  in  the  country.”  Show  how  this  complaint 
may  afford  the  country  church  (1)  an  opportunity,  (2)  a 
challenge. 

9.  What  is  the  practical  reason  why  country  churches  should 
concern  themselves  with  agricultural  prosperity? 

10.  To  what  extent  did  religion  among  the  ancient  Hebrews 
concern  itself  with  agriculture?  Cite  illustrative  passages. 

11.  In  what  circumstances  should  calf  or  canning  clubs  be  con¬ 
ducted  in  connection  with  a  church  ? 

12.  From  this  chapter  and  from  “Country  Churches  of  Dis¬ 
tinction,”  draw  varied  illustrations  of  the  cooperation  of 
churches  with  the  Farm  Bureau. 

13.  For  a  village  community  of  800  to  1,200  people  in  a  Protes¬ 
tant  district  where  there  is  no  marked  separation  between 
racial,  occupational  or  social  groups,  and  where  sectarian 
differences  are  not  strong,  which  of  the  following  should  be 
the  minister’s  objective?  Support  your  choice. 

(a)  Two  churches  working  in  cooperation. 

(b)  A  single  denominational  church. 

(c)  A  single  federated  church. 


164  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


14.  Give  accounts  of  specific  cases  where  the  influence  of  a 
church  through  its  members  has  accomplished  indirectly 
definite  service  for  the  community. 

15.  Ought  it  to  be  the  ideal  that  the  church  members  should  do 
welfare  work  solely  through  their  church?  Or  should  or¬ 
ganizations  specialized  for  certain  forms  of  service  be 
deputed  to  perform  it,  the  churches  cooperating  either  as 
such  or  through  individual  members  ? 

16.  A  minister  goes  into  a  town  where  there  are  a  Business 
Men’s  Club,  a  Parent-Teacher  Association,  a  Commercial 
Club  and  three  Protestant  churches  besides  his  own,  all 
these  organizations  working  independently  for  what  each 
considers  the  good  of  the  community.  Should  the  minister 
take  steps  to  bring  about  cooperation?  What  can  he  do? 

17.  Describe  how  some  church  known  to  you  has  lessened  its 
own  organized  activities  in  order  to  promote  Christian  co¬ 
operation  more  broadly  conceived. 

18.  To  what  extent,  if  any,  does  a  church  by  cooperating  with 
such  an  agency  as,  for  example,  the  Anti-Saloon  League, 
vouch  for  that  agency’s  good  faith? 


Chapter  X 

MEASURING  SUCCESS 

Reasons  for  the  success  of  these  churches  were  eagerly 
sought.  The  testimony  of  the  local  people  is  interesting  on 
this  point.  Of  the  explanations  they  gave,  the  three  that 
seemed  most  important  to  the  field  worker  have  been  selected. 
For  the  forty  churches,  therefore,  there  are  120  possible 
answers.  In  twenty-one  instances  the  pastor  receives  credit. 
In  fifteen  cases,  success  is  accounted  for  by  the  all-round 
program ;  in  thirteen,  by  cooperation  with  other  churches 
and  the  community  agencies.  In  nine  cases  the  young 
people  receive  credit,  and  in  eight  the  recreational  program. 
In  eight  other  instances  the  high  quality  and  general  level 
of  intelligence  of  the  people  themselves  more  than  anything 
else  seemed  to  account  for  the  success  of  the  church.  Long 
pastorates  are  mentioned  in  seven  instances ;  the  economic 
program  of  the  church  in  four.  The  minister’s  wife  and 
local  lay  leadership  of  the  church  also  came  in  for  their 
share  of  the  recognition  in  four  cases  each.  The  remaining 
explanations  cover  such  items  as  equipment,  men’s  organiza¬ 
tions,  publicity,  and  the  annual  survey. 

THE  PAR  STANDARD 

During  the  Interchurch  World  Movement  much  was  made 
of  a  so-called  Par  Standard  for  town  and  country  churches, 
which  sought  to  set  down  those  items  of  equipment  and  pro¬ 
gram  believed  to  be  within  the  reach  of  any  rural  church. 
No  attempt  was  made  to  appraise  the  various  items  of  this 
standard ;  but  it  was  divided  under  the  five  heads  of  Equip¬ 
ment,  Pastor  and  Services,  Finance,  Religious  Education, 
Community  Service  and  Cooperation.  This  standard  con- 

165 


166  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


tained  thirty  points,  only  twenty-four  of  which  were  covered 
in  the  schedules  used  by  the  Interchurch  World  Movement. 
On  the  basis  of  the  forty  churches,  a  new  standard  has  been 
worked  out,  one  that  is  probably  above  par,  but  which  does 
summarize  the  principal  items  of  equipment  and  program 
which  these  churches  have  in  common. 

In  this  standard,  no  item  has  been  included  unless  at  least 
20  per  cent,  of  the  churches  qualified.  Furthermore,  an  at¬ 
tempt  has  been  made  to  avoid  carrying  classification  to  too 
fine  a  point.  Thus,  while  fourteen  of  these  churches  have 
gymnasiums,  a  gymnasium  as  such  was  not  included  in  the 
standard.  Instead,  the  church  was  graded  on  the  basis  of 
having  a  space  available  for  social  and  recreational  purposes 
which  might  or  might  not  be  in  a  gymnasium  or  separate 
community  house. 

This  summary  of  equipment  and  program  follows;  and 
for  each  item  is  given  the  number  of  churches  of  the  forty 
which  have  made  this  particular  point.  The  points  that  are 
starred  are  those  in  the  original  studies  on  which  the  Inter¬ 
church  World  Movement  gathered  data.  At  the  conclusion 
of  the  table  will  be  found  a  comparison  of  the  ranking  of 
the  churches  in  the  twenty-five  typical  counties  studied  by 
the  Committee  1  with  the  ranking  of  these  forty  churches. 


PAR  STANDARD 
Physical  Equipment 

*  i.  A  comfortable,  attractive  parsonage  with  modern 

improvements,  furnished  rent  free .  33 

*  2.  Auditorium  with  seating  capacity  adequate  to  maxi¬ 

mum  attendance  at  regular  services .  34 

3.  Pipe  organ  or  piano .  40 


*  4.  Space  for  social  and  recreational  purposes  fitted  with 

movable  chairs  and  a  platform,  and  large  enough  for  the 
largest  crowds  in  the  habit  of  assembling  there. ...  35 

*  5.  Separate  rooms  or  curtained  spaces  for  Sunday 


school  classes  or  departments .  32 

*  6.  Moving-picture  machine  or  stereopticon  facilities. . .  28 

7.  A  well-planned,  well-equipped  kitchen .  34 


1  Town  and  Country  Series,  in  12  volumes,  by  the  Committee  on 
Social  and  Religious  Surveys. 


MEASURING  SUCCESS  167 

8.  Sanitary  lavatories .  26 

*  9.  Parking  space  for  automobiles  or  horsesheds .  39 

*10.  All  property  kept  in  good  repair  and  sightly  con¬ 
dition  .  35 

11.  Bulletin  boards  for  display  of  church  announce¬ 
ments  .  25 

12.  Playground  .  12 

13.  Recreational  equipment — games,  volley  ball,  cro¬ 
quet,  quoits  (indoor  and  outdoor)  and  the  like....  28 

Religious  and  Missionary  Education 

*14.  Sunday  school  maintained  throughout  the  year....  40 

*15.  Sunday  school  enrollment  at  least  equal  to  church 
membership,  with  an  average  attendance  of  at  least 

two-thirds  of  its  membership .  20 

*16.  Definite  and  regular  attempt  to  bring  pupils  into 
church  membership,  and  specific  instruction  in 

preparation  therefor .  40 

*17.  Teacher  training  or  normal  class  regularly  provided  20 
*18.  Definite  provision  for  enlistment  and  training  of 
leaders  for  church  and  community  work  other  than 

in  Sunday  school .  27 

*19.  Communicant  classes  regularly  held  in  preparation 

for  church  membership .  23 

20.  Week-day  religious  instruction  provided .  10 

21.  Daily  Vacation  Bible  School  held .  11 

22.  School  of  Missions,  or  systematic  Mission  Study 

class  regularly  held .  8 

23.  The  missionary  work  of  the  church  regularly  pre¬ 
sented  from  the  pulpit  and  in  the  Sunday  school. ...  33 

24.  At  least  one  representative  in  professional  Christian 

service  .  19 

Finance 

*25.  The  church  budget,  including  both  local  expenses 
and  benevolences,  adopted  annually  by  the  congre¬ 
gation  .  40 

*26.  Every-member  canvass  for  weekly  offerings  made 
annually  on  the  basis  of  the  local  and  benevolent 
budget  adopted;  all  church  members  and  adherents 

canvassed;  envelope  system  used .  36 

*27.  The  budget  of  benevolence  either  meeting  the  de¬ 

nominational  apportionment  in  full  or  equal  to  one- 


168  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


third  of  the  current  expense  budget  (Interchurch 
standard  25  per  cent.) .  13 

28.  All  current  bills  paid  monthly .  39 

29.  A  systematic  plan  of  payments  on  principal  and  in¬ 
terest  of  debt  on  the  church  property,  if  any .  18 

30.  Property  insured .  38 

Pastor 

*31.  A  pastor  resident  within  the  bounds  of  the  com¬ 
munity  .  40 

*32.  A  pastor  giving  full  time  to  the  work  of  this  church  33 
*33.  The  pastor  receiving  a  total  salary  of  at  least  $1,500 
a  year  and  free  use  of  house  (Interchurch  figure 
$1,200) .  34 

Program 

*34.  At  least  one  service  of  worship  every  Sunday .  40 

35.  Regular  mid-week  services .  24 

*36.  Church  works  systematically  to  extend  its  parish  to 

the  limits  of  the  community .  40 

37.  Church  works  systematically  to  serve  all  occupa¬ 

tional  classes  in  the  community  and  all  racial  ele¬ 
ments  which  do  not  have  their  own  Protestant 
churches . 35 

38.  A  definite  program  setting  goals  for  the  year’s  work 
adopted  annually  by  the  officers  and  congregation 
and  held  steadily  before  the  attention  of  the  church.  18 

39.  A  definite  assumption  of  responsibility  with  respect 
to  some  part  of  this  program  (as  in  38)  by  at  least 

25  per  cent,  of  the  active  members .  37 

40.  Systematic  evangelism  aimed  to  reach  the  entire 

community  and  every  class  in  the  community .  40 

41.  A  minimum  net  membership  increase  of  10  per  cent, 

each  year . 20 

42.  Community  service  a  definite  part  of  the  church’s 
work,  including  a  definite  program  of  community 
cooperation  led  by  or  participated  in  by  the  church.  40 

*43.  Definite  organized  activities  for  all  the  various  age- 
and  sex-groups  in  the  congregation  and  community 
(as  in  Young  People’s  Society,  Men’s  Brotherhood, 

Boy  Scouts,  or  similar  efforts) .  24 

44.  A  systematic  and  cumulative  survey  of  the  parish 
with  a  view  to  determining  the  church  relationships 
and  religious  needs  of  every  family,  and  such  a 


MEASURING  SUCCESS 


169 


mapping  of  the  parish  as  will  show  the  relationships 
of  each  family  to  local  religious  institutions  together 
with  a  continuous  and  cumulative  study  of  the  social, 
moral  and  economic  forces  of  the  community  with  a 
view  to  constant  adaptation  of  program  to  need. ...  16 

Cooperation 

*45.  Cooperation  with  other  churches  of  the  community 


in  a  definite  program  for  community  betterment2. . .  31 

46.  Cooperation  with  state  and  county  interdenomina¬ 
tional  religious  agencies .  40 

47.  Cooperation  with  local  community  organizations ....  38 

48.  Cooperation  with  county,  state,  or  national  welfare 

agencies .  38 

49.  Cooperation  with  local  and  county  agricultural 

agencies .  36 

50.  Cooperation  with  denominational  boards .  40 


A  comparison  of  the  ranking  of  the  successful  churches 
and  those  in  the  twenty-five  counties,  to  which  allusion  has 
frequently  been  made,  covering  only  those  points  found  in 
the  Interchurch  World  Movement  schedules,  shows  that  these 
churches  rank  more  than  twice  as  high  as  those  in  the  twenty- 
five  counties.  The  proportion  of  points  attained  is  85.5  per 
cent,  in  the  one  case  and  40  per  cent,  in  the  other.  In  those 
points  relating  to  the  minister  and  worship,  finance,  and 
religious  education,  the  successful  churches  better  the  records 
of  the  average  from  100  to  150  per  cent.  The  nearest  ap¬ 
proach  in  the  two  groups  is  in  the  matter  of  physical  equip¬ 
ment  where  the  superiority  is  a  little  less  than  70  per  cent. 

This  comparison  shows  only  what  is  to  be  expected.  If 
these  churches  did  not  markedly  exceed  the  average  they 
would  not  be  successful.  That  they  do  exceed  the  average 
simply  proves  that  they  are  worthy  to  be  studied  and  their 
methods  to  be  adapted.  The  most  significant  difference 
disclosed  by  the  comparison  relates  to  community  service  and 
cooperation.  It  is  in  this  very  important  branch  of  church 
work  that  the  greatest  difference  is  discernible,  one  of  about 
400  per  cent. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  things  which  this  survey 

2  Nine  churches  are  the  only  ones  in  their  respective  communities. 


170  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


reveals  is  the  similarity  in  program  between  town,  village, 
and  country  churches.  The  extent  to  which  the  town 
churches  reach  the  outlying  rural  population  has  already  been 
pointed  out.  The  experiences  of  these  churches  prove  that 
the  town  and  the  country  to  a  remarkable  degree  respond  alike 
to  the  same  kind  of  organized  expression  of  religion. 

This  investigation,  particularly  summarized  as  it  is  in  the 
above  standard,  indicates  very  clearly  that  the  rural  church 
is  now  in  possession  of  a  program  that  meets  the  needs  of 
the  people.  There  is  no  occasion  to  flounder.  There  need 
be  no  hesitancy  in  leadership.  The  dream  of  a  church  that 
would  stand  central  in  the  life  and  thought  of  its  community 
has  become  an  actuality,  in  these  instances  and  in  others 
equally  significant. 

The  Country  Church  was  challenged  a  dozen  years  ago  to 
rise  to  the  full  possibility  of  its  powers.  The  challenge  came 
in  the  unimpassioned  findings  of  a  government  report,  that 
made  by  the  Roosevelt  Country  Life  Commission.  These 
forty  churches  and  the  ideas  and  the  ideals  which  they  have 
formulated  are  the  answer  to  that  challenge.  They  prove 
that  evangelistic  zeal  and  social  service  can  be  combined 
under  adequate  leadership  in  a  program  that  will  rouse  the 
interest  and  then  command  the  loyalty  of  a  community  of 
any  kind  in  country  or  in  town. 


Index 


Advertising,  miscellaneous,  147 
Agriculture,  70 
Agricultural  cooperation,  158 
Agricultural  welfare,  157 
Amount  of  expenditures,  116 
Apportionment  of  expenditures, 
116 

Assessments,  113 
Athletics,  67 
Attendance,  48 
Auditorium,  the,  90 

Baseball  league,  67 
Basement,  the,  91 
Bible  study  for  public  school 
credit,  50 

Bibliography,  36,  44,  61,  86,  106, 
121,  137,  152,  162 
Boy  Scouts,  66 
Boys  and  girls, 
nurturing,  33 
organizations  for,  66 
Budget,  109 
Bulletin  boards,  141 

Calendars,  146 
Campaign  publicity,  no 
Camping,  68 

Canvass,  every-member,  109,  112 
Centerton,  church  building  at,  104 
Character  reading,  70 
Children,  72 
worship  for,  40 
Church, 

external  appearance,  89 
definite  building  plans,  99 
other  details  of  building,  94 
plans  for,  100- 103 
service  for  the,  75,  78 
Church  calendar,  133 
Church  membership,  classes  to 
prepare  for,  31 
Church  press,  144 
Church  program,  123,  129 
four  year  program,  132 
unified,  for  1922-19 23,  131 


Circuit  evangelism,  33 
Citizenship  building,  156 
Civic  improvement,  155 
Civic  righteousness,  80 
Classes,  50 
Clubroom,  the,  71 
Coasting,  68 

Collbran,  church  building  at,  105 
Collections,  71 
Community  house,  95 
Community  organization,  159 
Community  service,  76,  79 
space  and  equipment  for,  £r 
Community  welfare,  154 
Comparative  results,  35 
Conferences,  76 
Cradle  roll,  49 
Curriculum*  50 
Cultural  activities,  156 

Daily  vacation  bible  school,  54 
Debts,  1 17 
Decision  day,  53 
Demonstration  farm,  157 
Denominational  campaigns,  115 
Discussion,  topics  for,  44,  61,  87, 
106,  121,  137,  152,  162 

Educational  activities,  70 
Employment  service,  158 
Enrollment,  55 

Equipment  for  religious  educa¬ 
tion,  47 

Evangelistic  harvest,  preparation 
for,  26 

Evening  service,  Sunday,  40 
Extension  evangelism,  34 
Extra-curriculum  activities,  52 

Farm  institutes,  etc.,  157 
“Father  and  Son”  banquet,  77 
Finance,  109 

Financial  methods,  other,  113 
Financing  the  Sunday  school,  119 
Fire  department,  the,  155 


172  TESTED  METHODS  IN  COUNTRY  CHURCHES 


Follow-up,  the,  116 
Forum,  41 

Four-year  program,  the,  132 

Girl  Scouts,  66 
Girls  and  boys, 
nurturing,  33 
organizations  for,  66 
Good  taste  in  writing  church 
news,  148 
Graded  lessons,  50 
Gymnasium,  95 

Health,  156 
Home  department,  49 
Home  mission  aid,  118 
Hiking,  68 

Indians,  set  the  pace,  33 
Interchurch  World  Movement 
schedules,  169 

Interdenominational  cooperation, 
54,  160 

Junior  Christian  Endeavor,  72 

Kitchen,  the,  92 

Larger  religious  service,  78 
Law  enforcement,  155 
Leadership,  55,  75 
Leadership  training,  59 
Lessons,  graded,  50 
Life  service  recruits,  58 

Magazine,  the  church,  149 
Mail  service,  147 
Meetings,  77 
evangelistic,  30 
Membership, 
enlisting  the,  26 
using  the,  41 
Men,  societies  for,  77 
Methods,  other  evangelistic,  30 
Mid-week  service,  42 
Mission  study  outside  the  church 
school,  56 

Missionary  education,  56 
other  methods  of,  57 
Missions, 
and  women,  82 
at  home,  83 

topics  for  discussion  on,  64 


Morning  service,  39 
Mottoes,  140 

Motion-picture  publicity,  149 
Moving-pictures,  41,  97 
cost  of,  97 
program,  97-98 
sources  of  films,  98 
topics  of  discussion  on,  108, 
112 

Music,  39 

National  agencies,  cooperation, 

J59 

Non-evangelical  pupils,  47 
Nurseries,  81 

Opportunities,  meeting  unusual, 
76 

Organization,  49 

Par  standard,  the,  165-169 
Parish  map,  129 
Parish  service,  enlisting  for,  58 
Parish  visiting,  81 
Parma,  church  building  and  com¬ 
munity  house  at,  105 
Pastor’s  council,  126 
Per  capita  expenditure,  114 
Politics,  156 
Poor  relief,  156 
Prayer  meetings,  27 
Preparatory  steps,  28 
Press,  the,  142 
Printing-press,  a,  144 
Program,  value  of  a  full,  76 
Promotion  day,  53 
Prospects,  letters  to,  29 
Public  “movie,”  144 
Publicity,  28,  no,  140 
managing  and  paying  for,  150 
Pulpit  notices,  148 
Pupils,  47 

Radio,  71 
Rally  day,  52 

Reaching  an  entire  community, 
79 

Records,  129 

Recreational  activities,  66,  70 
Relief  of  poor,  156 
Restroom,  a,  83 


INDEX 


173 


Results, 

comparative,  35 
following  up,  32 
Roads,  155 
Rodeo,  68 

Schools,  of  missions,  57 
Sermons,  39,  40 
Service,  72 

Service  for  the  church,  75,  78 
larger  religious  service,  78 
Services,  38 

Similarity  in  program  of  town, 
village  and  county  churches, 
170 

Slogans,  140 

Social  activities,  66,  70,  73 
Social  occasions,  54 
Societies  for  men,  77 
Societies  for  women,  80 
Speakers,  addresses  by  invited, 
41 

Special  days,  31 
Special  offerings,  115 
Staff,  135 
Stage,  the,  93 
Stereopticon — publicity,  149 
Stereopticons,  96 
Stewardship  day,  53 
Stewardship  training,  ng 
Style,  in  writing  church  news, 
148 


Success,  measuring,  165 
Sunday  school,  providing  for,  90 
Survey  of  the  church,  128,  157 

Taking  shut-ins  to  services,  82 
Teachers  and  their  preparation, 
5i 

Telephone,  the,  148 
Terms,  55 
Tithing,  114 
Training  classes,  51 

Unified  church  program  for 
1922-1923,  131 

Village  improvement,  156 
Vocational  training,  69 
Volunteer  day,  59 

Welfare,  community,  154 
Women, 

and  missions,  82 
societies  for,  80 
Workers  conference,  52 
Workers,  training  personal,  27 
Worship,  38 
for  children,  40 

Young  people’s  organizations,  73 


THIS  BOOK 


Should  Be  Read  in  Connection 
with  Its  Companion  Volume 

CHURCHES  OF  DISTINCTION 
IN  TOWN  AND  COUNTRY 


In  which  are  Told 

The  Life-stories  of  Fourteen  of  the  Forty 
Successful  Churches  whose  Methods  have 
been  Treated  Topically  in  the  foregoing 
pages.  Each  story  constitutes  in  itself 

A  ROMANCE  OF  PASTORAL  SUCCESS 


Published  by  GEORGE  H.  DORAN  COMPANY,  New  York 

FOR 

THE  COMMITTEE  ON  SOCIAL  AND  RELIGIOUS 

SURVEYS 

370  SEVENTH  AVENUE,  NEW  YORK 


Freely  Illustrated 


12  mo.  Net ,  $1.50 


Princeton 


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